Gifts To Me
by LilikoMizu
Summary: a summer to enjoy for a teenage girl. Magic has changed that, now Zuko has to handle, capturing the Avatar, learn from this odd girl, all before the fire nation rules the world at the end of the summer. OCxZ, slight KxA
1. What have I done?

"Wahoo!" cried the ecstatic girl. "I made it to the Honorable Chinese camp!" A curly blonde came over and bumped in to the yelling girl. "Yeah, we both did you dork! Now shut up before everyone finds out you're an idiot." The yelling girl smiles at her friend and calms down a bit. They both made their way to the back of the crowd of other campers and began talking excitedly about the up coming summer. The crowd makes its way up a steep hill, as they are all led to an ancient temple. When they make it to the temple, all had gone silent. To be on such holy grounds, was an honor! Or so the pamphlet for this camp had said.

A man in a long flowing robe came up in front of the campers and held his hands up for silence. "We, the masters of this temple, are pleased to welcome the students of..." The yelling girl pushes her glasses up higher on her small snub nose. "He makes us sound as if we're at school." She whispered to her blonde friend. The blonde slumps her shoulders and sticks out her tongue. "Speaking of school..." continued the other girl. "Did you bring the downloads for my MP3?" The Blonde points to her over-sized backpack. "You bet I did. And you better appreciate them; this thing was heavy even _before_ I put my lap top in it!" The other girl pushes her thick straight hair out of her face. "You think _you've_ got it bad?" She motioned to the things she was carrying. "I brought my lap top, which is in one of the bags in my left hand..." The blonde rolled her eyes, knowing she was about to hear a long speech. "The other bag has my silk things, robes, pjs, ceremonial things required from us. The thing in my right hand has swimsuits, hair stuff, and stuff for my teeth, snacks, shampoo and conditioner, enough for the rest of my life time by the way. As you can tell my mother packed a lot of this stuff. But I did pack my entertainment stuff that will last for the rest of the summer." The blonde raises her eyebrow at her friend. "So what's with the hiker's backpack, girl?" The brown head looks at her back. "Oh, just my entire wardrobe of regular clothes, sunscreen, bug away stuff, and not one, but two sleeping bags." The blonde starts laughing at her friend. "Your mom's love is killing you, huh?" She said loudly. A few people in the back of the crowd look back at them and 'shh' them. The two friends blush, and go back to listening to the man with the long robes. After a few minutes, the blonde whispers, "I'm sorry, but your life must suck right now!" The blonde starts laughing again, but is quieter. The brown headed girl humphs but starts to smile with her friend.

"Now to pass through this arch above me." the man said gesturing to a wooden frame three times his size. "You must say the traditional words of 'Let me pass.'" It was at that moment that the brown head got sucked in on a polished symbol in the middle of the arch. Her eyes glazed over and thoughts wondered from her grasp. Suddenly her friend nudged her. "He called your name, you idiot! Go up and pass through the gate thingy!" With another shove the girl was stumbling forward with her bags throwing her off balance. She almost tripped but she shifted her left hand bags and regained her balance. She finally gets to the man and puts her stuff down, just a few feet away from the arch. "What do I have to say?" She asks. The robed man smirks, "As I said earlier, I do not repeat myself for any thing or any one." She glares at the man. Well, she had heard a couple of syllables...maybe that was enough. She takes a deep breath and tries her best to pronounce the words.

"Hayra seid makt yehat!"

She steps forward and lets out her breath. The robed man laughs. "You fool! You weren't even close! You said take me back to the pas..." His voice was cut off as the colors around her melted. She blinked in this puddled world. She felt her body being thrown up ward, she tried to let out a scream but was cut off as she shifted and felt herself falling. She then stopped. Her feet were some how on solid ground and her voice could scream again. And that's what she did, scream. Scream her heart out, while also giving a heart attack to a teenage boy with a boomerang, who had some how gotten in front of her.


	2. Meeting

He screamed when he saw her and fell backward onto his butt in the process. His screaming made the brown-headed girl scream again. "Oh My God! Who the hell are you!" she screamed backing away with her bags still in her hands. "Me!" The dark-skinned boy yells in a cracking voice, "Who are you! No one was supposed to be on this island!" By this time he had gotten back up and had put his boomerang into attack position. "Island!" She yelled back at him eyeing the weapon in his hands. "We're in the middle of freaking China!" He sneered at her as he looked her over. "Nice try, fire bender! But there is no such thing as a 'China'" He lifted his boomerang higher. The girl panicked and fell on her butt and started screaming.

"Sokka! Quit you're screaming, and find us some food, Aang and I have already done _our_ part of the chores..." A girl, about the same age as the brown head, said as she came walking out of the forest with a big canteen in her hands. She stopped short as she saw the strange looking girl in front of her brother. She then looked at her brother who was still holding up his boomerang. "Sokka! What are you doing! You can't hit an unarmed person!" The boy named Sokka frowns at the girl. "But she attacked _me_!" "Hey!" The brown headed girl cried. "Yup, she appeared right in front of me and started screaming at me." He said proudly and raised his boomerang up higher. "So I have the right to fight back." "Sokka!" The girl with the canteen yelled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you hear yourself? She could not have just appeared out of thin air." She said pushing his arm all the way down "She did so, Katara! I was walking along, minding my own business, when I stopped when I saw this purple puddle come up in front of me. Next thing I know, this girl appears and starts to scream at me." The brown headed girl's jaw drops, "That is sooo not true, you moron! I just went under an arch and came here! I'm supposed to be in China! Not here! Where ever that is." She gets up and glares at Sokka, who glares back. The girl, Katara, gets in between them and holds up her hands. "I'm sorry for my brother, he was not taught to be polite." "Hey!" Katara smirks. "I just don't like strangers appearing out of no where, that's all." He said stupidly trying to salvage his pride

"My name is Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, and you have already met my brother, Sokka." The girl looks nervously at the two siblings. "I'm Natasha of Seattle, Washington. No relation to any one here." She smiles weakly at her own joke. "Nice to meet you Nata-shaw." Katara says politely, bowing slightly. "_Na-taw-shad_." The girl says. "Not Nata-shaw, it's pronounced _Na-taw-sha_." Katara blushes slightly. "What kind of a name is that?" Sokka says rudely poking Natasha with his boomerang. "It's _my_ name, you savage! And if you don't' stop poking me, I swear I'm gonna brake your little toy." She said pushing Sokka's arm away. He frowns deeply at that remark and crosses his arms in disapproval.

"Where am I?" Natasha asks. "You said we were on an island, last thing I remember I was on the biggest land mass on earth." Katara and Sokka exchanged looks. "It's official; we've met, and talked to, the craziest person in the world." Sokka said walking off into a bunch trees and disappearing into the woods. Katara glares at her brother as he leaves. She turns back to Natasha and gives her a measuring look. "You mean, you have no idea where you are?" Katara said skeptically. Natasha's eyes open widely. "You mean we _really _are on an island?" She shouts at the top of her lungs. She looks around and picks up her stuff and begins to make her way through the woods, trying to follow the path that Sokka had used. "Hey! Where are you going?" Katara asks, easily catching up with Natasha. "This is a joke, this is sooo a joke..." Natasha kept saying to her self.

The trees parted and sand met their shoes. "NOOOO!" Natasha whines, dropping to the sand. Her shoulders slumped as she took in the scene in front of her. All her eyes could see was ocean.


	3. Decision

"What _is _the matter with you!" Katara shouted above Natasha's wails. "Arrrgghh!" Natasha screams and then falls to her back and begins to mutter to herself. "Um, is there any thing I can do?" Katara said crouching down next to the strange girl.

"Can you take me to the head-person of the Chinese camp?" Natasha said slowly covering her eyes with her arm.

"No."

"Is there even a Chinese camp here?"

"No."

Natasha sighs. She had to think! If she wasn't at camp then she'd just have to get back. Back. The last thing the robed man had said that she had said was 'Take me back to the past.' Past!

"When am I?" Natasha cried sitting bolt right up.

"When are you? I don't know, around mid-day, I suppose." Katara said slowly, getting kind of scared of Natasha.

Natasha mentally slaps herself, and feels around in her pockets. There! She pulled out her cell phone and tried to call 911. Nothing happened. "What's that?" Katara asked peering over Natasha's shoulder. "It's my cell." She closes it and puts it into her laptop bag. "Do you guys have cell phones? Or phones in general?" At both questions Katara shakes her head 'no'. Natasha stares at the other girl. "What exactly _is _your latest invention, not _you _specifically, but your generation's latest invention?" Natasha asked gathering up her things.

Katara thought for a moment. "Well the fire nation has had the steamboat for a while, but that is all I can think of."

"Steamboats?" Natasha said laughing at the primitiveness. "Have you ever heard of Ben Franklin or Thomas Edison? Geez, you gotta at least have electricity right?" Katara stared at Natasha.

"Electricity?"

Natasha stared wide eyed at Katara.

"Just my luck to get sent to _this _time! How did I get here in the first place!" ARRGGHHH! I need to get back. Some one must know how.

"Do you know any one who can take me back to where I came from?" She asked adjusting the pack on her back. Katara thought for a second, wondering if she could trust this weird speaking stranger. "Well...um... The Avatar _might _be able to help you, but I don't know."

"Don't know what an 'Avatar' is but if you say it'll help, I guess I'll give it a shot."

It was Katara's turn to look surprised. "You don't know what the Avatar is!"

"Not really, no, to put it bluntly." Natasha said tugging on Katara to get up.

"He's _only _the person of this world who can control all four elements, and bring balance to the four nations!" Katara cried. "It's practically _impossible_ to not have even heard stories of him!" Katara shouted standing up quickly.

"Well if he's so well known, then take me to Mr. Avatar! I need to get home! I have a life, where there aren't weird people trying to hit me or who don't know what simple electricity is."

"His name is Aang! And I don't have to help you if you keep being so mean and ignorant!"

That shut her up. But Katara's words had hit home, with in seconds Natasha's eyes were watering, and she didn't seem to be breathing. She then dropped to her knees and let her backpack fall to the ground and began to cry. 'Talk about mood swings' Katara thought to herself.

"I'm sorry, I don't, I'm not _mean_, it's just I, I don't, I don't know why I'm _here!"_ She cried banging her fists into the sand. "I don't want to be _here_!" she sobbed again. "Oh God! Why didn't I pay attention to the stupid master! Now I can't ever go home! Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!" Her shoulders began to shudder as her cries began to get more desperate. Katara didn't know what to do. She couldn't just leave the girl here, she didn't seem to know about _anything _going on in the world. But she had to protect Aang, too. She bit her lip as she looked down at the poor creature in front of her. She could relate, she couldn't go home either, at least not until the fire nation was over thrown. Katara bent down and crouched again next to Natasha. She placed her hand on Natasha's back and began to comfort her new friend.

Sokka was still muttering to himself as he passed the brook that held their campsite on the other side. As he was entering the clearing, he was met with a lemur bouncing onto his head and chirping for food. "Hey Sokka!" A twelve-year-old boy said from his place beside an enormous flying bison. "Women!" Sokka yelled. "They're just so, so...RRRRRR!" He growled as he paced the camp site. "What Katara do to you this time, Sokka?" Aang joked knowing quite well of the siblings bickering nature. "Not Katara, no it's that girl who can appear out of no where and scare the hell out of me, that's who!" Sokka said as he slapped himself in the face. "That's impossible Sokka, no one could ever be on this island, no one has been following us for three days, I think we gave Zuko the slip. What is it, Sokka?" Aang asked as his friend stopped and stared into space. "I left Katara alone with her." He said turning to the forest. "Who knows what'll happen when I leave Katara alone with _anyone_." With that he ran back into the forest at full sprint." Aang followed using his air bending powers to speed ahead of Sokka.

He reached the end of the woods and walked out looking for his friend Katara. He found her in the middle of a pile of strange looking bags, holding a girl with strange clothes on. "Katara? What's going on? Who's that?" The girl looked up at the boy, her face streaked with tears. The girl hiccupped and held out her hand. "I'm Natasha..." Aang looked at Katara, who nodded, and then took the hand of the stranger. "My name is Aang..." He said cautiously. "Aang? You mean the Avatar guy, Aang?" Natasha cried, jumping to her feet. "Yeah, I'm that guy..." He said blushing slightly at his well-known title. "Then you can take me home, right? Katara said an Avatar could take me home! Oh please, take me home! Please, please, please!"

Natasha was still holding his hand and now she was squeezing his hand a little too hard. Aang tried to smile at her, but she was kinda scary, she wasn't making any sense at all and she wasn't dressed in earthbenders clothes, so that ment she was probably a firebender, but then again her clothes weren't like any thing he had ever seen before. "Uh, sure... I guess..." Aang said patiently, "do you live on any island near here?" Natasha shook her head plaintively. "Not home, here and now..." She said, "I need you take me to the future. You can do that right, being master of elements and all." "Hey I thought you didn't know anything about the avatar." Katara cut in. "I heard you say it." Natasha said not taking her eyes off Aang. "Um, can you let go of my hand, please?" Aang asked. Natasha's hands quickly pulled away and were patiently waiting for an answer. "You said you want me to take you to the future?" Aang asked raising a questioning eyebrow at the strange girl. She nodded her head vigorously. "Okay... Katara can I talk to you for a minute?" Aang said motioning for Katara to rise and follow him.

It was then that Sokka came crashing out of the trees and almost tripped over one of Natasha's over stuffed bags. "Hey! Watch it!" Natasha cried quickly grabbing for the bag and hugging it to her chest. Sokka looked at the bags all around her. "Where is my sister!" He cried. She stared at him funny, then pointed behind her. Sokka looked over and saw Aang and Katara, no more then three yards away from the girl talking quietly to themselves. He looks back at Natasha, who was smirking at him. He blushes then quickly makes his way over to the avatar and his sister.

"We can't just leave her here." Katara whispered to Aang, as Sokka came into the conversation. "Yes we can." Sokka said cruelly. "We can just pack up and leave, it's as simple as that." "Sokka!" Aang cried at the meanness of Sokka's plan. "Well we could! We don't know any thing about her Aang! Look at her, she's just too weird!" They all glanced back at Natasha, who was busying herself by going through all of her stuff, just to make sure every thing was there. "He has a point Katara, didn't she just say that she wants me to take her to the _future_? It's impossible to time travel Katara! Everyone knows that!" Katara glares at the two boys. Then quietly, oh so softly she whispers, "Then what is she doing _here_?" To that question, none could answer.


	4. Running

"Dinner's ready." Katara announced an hour later. She looks up and surveys the other three. Natasha was sitting with Momo on her head, watching excitedly as Aang showed her his air bending skills. Sokka was still sitting next to Appa, but the ugly frown on his face had faded to a look of amusement. Katara walked over to her brother. "What's so funny, O brother of mine?" She said quietly. Sokka's smile broadens when Natasha gasps as Aang jumps onto his air scooter and whirls around the camp. "It's kinda funny to meet some one who needs to know the stuff that we find as common knowledge." Sokka answered. "I mean, she doesn't even know what element she can control. Everybody who can bend learns _what _they can bend when they're really little, right?" "Maybe she just got them..."Katara mused. Sokka turns and raises an eyebrow at his sister. "Well maybe she just got them when she came to this time." Katara said. Sokka just shakes his head and heads to the fire. "Hey, Aang, Natasha, Katara says food's ready." Sokka shouts. Aang floats over, while Natasha slowly gets up and walks over with Momo still on her head.

Katara rolls her eyes at her brother, and passes out bowls of soup. Natasha looks down at the bowl of food in her lap. "Guess it can't hurt to try it..." She whispered to Momo, she looked around at the others. Sokka was already on his second helping and Aang and Katara were already half way done. She looks back at her own bowl and slowly takes a sip. It was ok, nothing compared to chicken flavored Ramon noodles, but ok. She finishes her soup and finds that Sokka's staring at her, waiting for her to do some thing. "Um, you can have my share, if you want..."She said slowly. Sokka dove into the pan gulping up the rest of the soup. Natasha just puts her bowl down and sits waiting for the others to finish. When Sokka had polished off the last of soup, she asked for his bowl. "What do you want with an empty bowl?" Sokka said eyeing her suspiciously. "You guys are helping me get home, I might as well try repay you." She said calmly "With a bowl?" "You're an idiot aren't you? No, I want to do the dishes for you." She said snatching the bowl from his hand she then collected the bowls from Katara and Aang, then picked up the soup dish from the fire. "You don't have to do that, really." Katara said. "It's no problem, at home with one meal we would have three times as many dishes then what I have here." Natasha said walking towards the woods with the dishes. Sokka watches as she leaves, then gets up and sheaths his boomerang and follows. Aang and Katara exchange worried looks, but both of them are tired of arguing with them so they sit and wait.

Natasha walked to the brook next to the camp and finds a shallow piece of land and kneels down and rinses down the dishes. Sokka sits, hiding in a tree, watching her, his boomerang out of its sheath ready to use. A small furry figure presses against Sokka's leg. Sokka quickly looks down to find Momo staring at him innocently. Sokka sighs and continues his watch. Momo shrugs and glides down to Natasha and sits beside her. When she was done she walks back to camp, Sokka tries to follow, but the branch he was holding, snaps. When he opens his eyes, he's still in the air, his pants caught on a branch and he's safe, but he can't get down...

Natasha comes back to camp with clean dishes in hand. "Thanks for doing those." Aang said, "It was my turn to do it, so thanks." He whispers then takes the dishes and jumps, using his air bending, to land on Appa's saddle and pack the dishes away. Natasha smiles then looks at Katara who was unfolding her sleeping bag. She frowns and goes to her own bags and pulls out her cell phone. It was 8:35. "Why are you going to bed so early?" She asked, pulling out one of her sleeping bags and unfolding it. "We just go to bed when we're tired." Aang said sliding down Appa's tail with his light blanket. Natasha nods her head and takes her lap top bag and pulls out her MP3 player, then stuffs the rest into the bottom of the sleeping bag. She then takes the other bag and pulls out some of her Pjs and looks them over. "What are those?" Katara asked slipping into her sleeping bag. "They're my pajamas." Natasha answered pulling out a pair of plain purple flannel pants and a black tank top. "I've been meaning to ask you this all day..." Aang said sleepily from his place on Appa's tail. "What kind of clothes are those?" Natasha looks down. "They're just ordinary clothes from where I come from. These are just blue jeans and this is my favorite t-shirt." She said pulling at the black and blue shirt that she was wearing." And these are the clothes we wear at night so we they don't have to be very fashionable." Aang yawns, "Oh." He mutters closing his eyes and falling asleep. Natasha looks around, she still wasn't tired. "Hey Katara?" She whispers. "Un-hm." Katara mumbles. "I'm going to the beach, I'll be back later, ok?" "Um-hm." "Ok, bye." Natasha waves and walks back to the brook.

Sokka was still hanging on the tree branch by his pants, when Natasha came by with Momo on her head. Her ears were attached by white wires and she was hooking a little box onto her arm. Sokka narrowed his eyes onto the box, not seeing Momo fly over. Momo landed on his head, making the branch snap, and leaving Sokka to fall onto the ground. He looked up hastily and saw that Natasha hadn't heard his fall. Momo flapped away, gliding with Natasha as she found the brook and followed it the ocean. When she came to the ocean, Natasha turns the volume up and puts on a heavy metal song, she turns to her left and begins running. Sokka had followed her and began running in the trees keeping his eye on her.

At last when her breath was ragged and her brow was sweaty, Natasha stops and sits down heavily. She ripped the ear pieces off and wrapped them up and put them with her MP3. Then she sat listening to the ocean. She breathed in and out, gasping for air, but her breath didn't get any better. The reality of the world came crashing down on her, she was in the past, no family, no home. Just here, on an island where her eyes change color and water falls talk to you, giving you special powers. She was here! With no way to go back. She was stranded _here_! The tears stung her eyes, but she didn't hold them back, no one was here to see them, no one would care.

Momo, who had been gliding beside her, went to where Sokka was hiding, and sat next the panting Sokka. "What's she doing out here?" Sokka whispered to the little lemur. Momo looked up and let his ears droop and his eyes go very sad. "Oh." Sokka said awkwardly. He looked back and saw her head bent down onto her knees, and her shoulders shaking. Ashame and guilt washed over him, over throwing all suspicions of Natasha. "We should go." He said standing up. "If she wants to be alone we should let her be alone." Momo nodded and leaped up onto Sokka's shoulder, then the two were headed back, leaving Natasha by her self.

After a while, there were no more tears to cry, she was here and she had to deal with it, like it or not. Natasha got up and slowly made her way back to the brook. When she made it there she put a hand to her face. She felt so dirty, after being in dirt and sand today, then running half the night away, she needed to have a bath. "Just a quick rinse off, I don't have my towel with me, so I'll just get my Pjs and rinse off the sand." She said to herself, then trudged off of the beach.

She made a small detour to get her Pjs at the camp, where she duely noted that Sokka had returned and was snoring in his sleeping bag. She came to the small water fall she had come to earlier and she laid her pajamas on a flat rock. She quickly stripped down and waded slowly through the waters, when she came to the middle she took a breath and went under. It was peaceful under water, the silence comforted her, but her lungs began to ache for air after a while, so she came back up for air. It felt so good to be in water, even if it was icy cold. Natasha began scrubbing herself thoroughly, using the light current to take the dirt and sand away. She then went under again and scrubbed her hair, combing it with her fingers. When she came back up she saw Momo by her things. She stood up in the water and walked over to the bank and climbed out. "Don't you know it's not polite to interrupt a lady?" She said sarcastically to the lemur as she put her tank top on. Momo chirps and dashes to her jeans that on the ground. Natasha rolls her eyes. When she was fully dressed she sighs, picks up her MP3 player, and starts to walk back to camp. Momo squawks and flies onto her shoulder. "You've been naughty tonight, what makes you think that you can ride on _my _shoulder?" She says mockingly as she began the short walk back to camp. Momo retracts from her hair in shame. "Oh well, since your up, there I guess you can stay..." Natasha drawls. Momo sings in delight and goes back to preening Natasha's wet hair. "Shh! We're almost there, we have to go to sleep, ok?" Momo shrinks into her hair excitedly waiting to enter the camp.

Thankfully Natasha had set up her sleeping bag earlier so all she had to do was wipe off her bare feet and crawl in to bed. Momo sat by her tree watching her thoughtfully. She looks up at him trying to read his expression. She sighs, "You can sleep next to me if you want, just as long as Aang doesn't mind." Momo silently walks to her head and lies down on her hair. When he was comfortable, he fell asleep making a noise that sounded much like a cat purring. Fresh tears stung her eyes, she had a cat at home named Mac, he would sleep on her head and purr into her ear just like Momo was doing. "Don't worry Mac, I'll be home soon." She says to the stars, before she closed her eyes and let exhaustion over take her body.


	5. What am I?

"So this is your camp?" Natasha asks, as she Katara, Aang, and a sulking Sokka entered the clearing in which the three travelers were staying. Suddenly, a scream erupted from Natasha's mouth. Looming over her, was Aang's flying bison, Appa, munching happily on some branches over head. "Man! Do you scream at everything?" Sokka said angrily. Natasha blushes and turns in a different direction and gives Appa a wide berth, finally stopping on the opposite side of the camp-site. Katara slaps her brother on the back of his head and walks over to Natasha. "You can put your bags on Appa if you like." Katara said kindly. "Ap-pa..." Natasha breathed quietly. "Such strange names, are we going to ride him over to the next island?" Katara nodded. She goes over to her brother and whispers something into his ear. She then grabs a wide basket and walks off into the woods, leaving the three humans and a flying bison alone together. Natasha gulps and takes three of her five bags slowly over to the huge six-legged beast. 'Even lying down, he's taller then me.' Natasha thought to her self. She was at his right-side and was staring boggled eyed at the huge beast. Sokka and Aang watched her from the fire pit where they were trying to start a fire.

Appa moaned and turned his head to look at the new comer. Natasha notices and scuttles back a few feet. Sokka snickers. Natasha looks back to find the two boys looking at her and blushes in anger. She looks back at Appa and goes to his tail. Lightly she presses her foot on to the muscular mound of fur. By this time Sokka can't take it any more, he'll either burst trying not to laugh, or actually feel sorry for her. He gets up and offers his help. Natasha looks over his shoulder to see Aang smothering a laugh right behind them, and then glares at Sokka, and steps firmly onto Appa's tail and walks up and puts her stuff in the saddle. "That wasn't so bad." Aang shouts to her. She smiles triumphantly. Appa chooses, at that moment, to take a deep breath, shaking the saddle and all its contents. Natasha screamed again and ran off Appa's tail and back to her tree tripping over a root and falling into the dirt. "He won't eat you!" Sokka managed to say between bouts of laughter.

By this time, Natasha couldn't take it anymore, she gets up and brushes off her jeans quickly, trying to hide her ashamed face and the tears brimming at her eyes. "Well, Sokka, flying bison's _are_ rare, maybe, she hasn't seen one before." Aang said, but when Natasha looked at him, she could see laughter in his eyes. Finally one hot tear falls down her cheek, then another. She had had enough! She ran into the woods, with tears falling more freely, angry at the world. 'Why won't they stop teasing me? I'm, what...miles? Years away from home? Whatever! I'm far away from home with a bunch of strangers, and they think I'm crazy! Why won't they be nice? Why do they have to treat me like I'm stupid? Why do I have to be here? Why did I have to mess up on the arch thing? Why, why, WHHYYY! God, what do you want from me?' She screamed into her head.

She raced harder through the trees. She came to a small water fall that fed the brook she had passed earlier. She waded into the cold water. She came to the middle where the water was up to chest and clambered onto some rounded rock that had the water fall directly above it. She sat shivering as the water came pounding onto her head and back. It was then that she let her emotions go for the second time that day. She wept and wept, letting all here fear and desperation turn to tears and fall away into the running water. When she finally looked up, she saw that the sun was actually still flying high over the island. 'So much to take in..' she thought to her self, pulling her knees up to her chest. 'How am I supposed to go home?' She felt her mind drift for the second time that day, listening to the sounds of this world. At one point hearing her heart beat saying: 'Help me. Some one. Help me.' At another point, she felt the water warm to a comfortable heat, allowing her mind not think of the cold anymore. Then another sound came to her head. It was roaring, yet whispering, it pounded her head, yet trickled softly over her mind. 'Can you. Help me.' her heart said sounding as if it were deep under water. There was a colliding feeling in her mind. The voice, crackling, crunching, whistling, and flowing slowly said, in beat with Natasha's heart, 'You called. For us. You need. Our help. We give. Our selves. To one. In time. But you. Need us. As well.' The warm, rumbling, silky, whispering voice came deep from within her bones. 'Until you. Are home. You will. Have us.' The voice said kindly. It reassured her, it made her feel secure, it made her... tremble? Where was the warmth of the voice going? But as she listened she felt the voice's words not seep away from her body, but hide itself deep inside her soul.

The running water fall came back to her mind, her numb skin screamed into her mind, her head ached from the cold. She quickly slid down her rock, which seemed bigger than when she had gotten on to it. But she ignored it and waded back to the bank that had the weird people on it. Lightly she felt the voice brush the back of her mind. 'Stay safe.' She wanted to contemplate it, but her body was very cold. She quickly pulled her self out of the water and crawled to the base of a tree trunk and laid there panting.

When she finally caught her breath, she noticed a big eared monkey staring at her. His big green eyes gleamed with mischief and cuteness. "So what are you supposed to be? A flying lemur or something?" She asked sarcastically coincidently, her voice startled him into flying into the branches above her. 'I should be screaming right now,' Natasha thought to her self. But instead she coaxed the little mammal in to coming down. He sniffed her hand, then came closer, leaning a small paw onto her stomach. He gets one whiff of her hair and jumps to her shoulder and starts rubbing against her head. "Do you like my shampoo? Its mango scented. That means you like fruit, which means you're not a carnivore." Natasha said scratching his chin with her finger. She looks up at the sun and finds that it was almost setting. 'That's weird, it doesn't feel like I've been in the water very long' she thought to herself. The lemur changed sides and began rubbing on the other side of her face. She began scratching his ear, "I wonder if I should be petting a wild animal?" She pondered to herself.

"He's not a wild animal, he has a name." A small voice says from beside her tree. Natasha quickly turns her head, knocking the lemur into her lap. The little monkey shakes his head and then glares at his friend. Aang smiles. "His name is Momo. He's from my old home." He said sitting down next to Natasha. Natasha lifts Momo on to her head, where he is distracted by the scent of her shampoo and is contented to just lay limply on her head. "Mo-mo..." Natasha said slowly patting the dozing lemur on the head. She smiles at the name and stares ahead at the waterfall she had just emerged from. Aang looks at the waterfall as well, both sitting quietly for a while in an uncomfortable silence. Finally Aang opens his mouth. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. I should be grateful that you even let me into your camp." Natasha said, interrupting him. "When you get to know me I can be smart and logical, but when we first met... I guess I'm just not used to this time traveling thing." She said smiling over at him. Aang gives her a weak smile, but hangs his head in shame. "You shouldn't be sorry, Sokka and I shouldn't have laughed at you, being away from home and your family, I know what that's like. And it's not something other people should laugh at." Natasha takes comfort in hearing that. They're quiet again, but it's more of a comfortable silence.

"How long are we going to stay on this island?" She asks. Aang shrugs. "We'll probably go after tomorrow. Just to let Appa rest a little while longer." She nods her head, then a thought comes to her head. "Aang... in this time...do waterfalls talk?" Aang laughs, but by now Natasha has figured he's the kind of person who could laugh at anything. "This time may be weird, but it still has its limits. What? Did _you_ hear a waterfall talk?" He grins at her. She smiles back and closes her eyes. "Of course not! I must have been day dreaming of home when I was swimming a minute ago!" She opens her eyes, and Aang opens his. He gasps and jumps back.

"What is it?" She asks coming to his aid, letting Momo fly off her head and land near Aang. Aang just stares and looks her up and down. "Did you just say you were swimming _just _a minute ago." Natasha is taken back by this question "Yeah." She said looking down at her clothes. It was her turn to gasp. Her clothes, they were dry! She felt her hair. It was also dry but there was something different about it. It wasn't frizzy like it usually was when dry, this time it felt silky and light. Natasha pulled her hair to her face, it was the same color, but still there was something different about it. Natasha looked at Aang and saw the shock in his face. "So I'm dry, I must have day dreamed the day away! I guess I got out long ago." She lied. She didn't want everyone thinking that she was any weirder than they already thought she was. Aang blinks his eyes in confusion. He then frowns deeply and thrusts his face into hers, and looks deeply into her eyes, then raises an eyebrow. Natasha's face turns red. Aang then grabs her wrist and pulls her up and drags her through the forest. Momo just sits and stares at the two retreating humans.

They reach the campsite and find Sokka lounging next to Appa sharpening his blade. "Where's Katara?" Aang asked casually. "She said something about getting food from a fruit tree near the beach where the brook ran into the ocean and practicing her bending, why?" Sokka said getting up and walking over to them. "Natasha, you stay here with Sokka, I'll be right back." Aang said picking up his staff and launching himself into the air and gliding away. Sokka watches Aang go. "What's going on?" Natasha asks. Sokka looks back, with distrust on his face. "So you're talking to me now?" Natasha glares at him but other than that doesn't answer him. "How did he get up into the air, like that?" She asked nodding her head in the direction Aang had flown. Sokka shrugs and goes back to Appa and his blade. Natasha's shoulder's sag, she had made peace with Aang, now she had to make peace with Sokka. She walked over to her little spot and pulled out her MP3 player then lays her head down on her back pack. She hears a crackling sound and looks over to see a nice roaring fire. "That's a nice fire, did you make it your self?" Sokka looks over at her thinking she was being sarcastic, but the look on her face told him that she was actually trying to give him a compliment. He lies back on Appa and start polishing his blade. "Why yes I did. I'm pretty good at it. Yep, the others don't really appreciate it, but my fire keeps them from freezing at night." He said smugly. Natasha's eyes open widely. "Does it really get that cold in this time?" She asked worriedly. "No, he just says that to impress you." Katara said coming out from behind some trees with a basket full of fruits. "Katara! I didn't hear you coming!" Sokka said jumping up and rubbing the back of his head trying to hide a blush. Katara smiles cruelly at her brother as Aang slowly floated down on his glider and folds it back up.

"Natasha come here." Aang said excitedly, motioning for her to join him and Katara. Natasha gets up and hurriedly walks around the fire and joins them near Appa's tail. "What's going on Aang?" She asks. "Look Katara, right there! Aren't they different from before?" Aang said pointing to Natasha's eyes. Katara looks, then widens her eyes in surprise. "Wow, Your right! Sokka come over here, you have to see this!" "Right? Right about what? What are you guys talking about?" Natasha said taking a step back. Aang pushed his finger into her face. "Your eyes! They were brown when I first saw them, now they're, they're..." "Green!" Sokka shouts when he gets in between his sister and Aang. "No they're not!" Natasha cried putting her hands onto her face. She felt something missing from her nose, where were they? 'How can I see so clearly without them?' She thought briefly. The fire behind her crackled it's warning to the four young people. "Yes they are!" Sokka said pressing his face even closer, his eyes glistening with interest. Natasha forgot about her missing glasses and took another step backward. "No they're not!" She yelled. Again the fire crackled a warning. "How did you do it?" Katara asked eagerly, coming up on Natasha's left. "Yeah, did you use a spell or something?" Aang said coming up on her right. Natasha backed up again, she could feel the roaring fire warm her back and legs, they had trapped her, she couldn't escape. "No, no, I didn't do _any_ thing. I don't know magic." She protested closing her eyes and clenching her fists over her face. The fire gave a last warning flare . "How did you get them _green_?" Sokka asked reaching out his hand to pull away Natasha's hands to see her unusual eyes again. "THEY'RE NOT GREEN!" Natasha screamed slamming her fists onto her legs. The fire then lurched to life, climbing high in to the sky and easily topping the highest point on the island, swallowing Natasha in the process.


	6. Fire

"For the last time Prince Zuko, we should keep going straight! We'll reach the uncharted island by tomorrow evening, now sit down and drink some tea." Iroh said to his sulking nephew, the scarred Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko. He motioned for Zuko to sit on the cushion next to him but, as usual, the prince declined.

"And I am telling you, Uncle, there is a reason they call it the 'Uncharted Island', it's because it doesn't exist! It is a simple fairy tale that mothers tell their children as bed time stories." Zuko said angrily pacing the deck of his iron ship.

"But there is not another island for another two days travel, Zuko. The Avatar needs to let his bison rest. The only island near, is the one that I speak of." Iroh said sipping his tea. Prince Zuko growls.

"Uncle we haven't seen the Avatar for three days! All we have to go on is village talk of the Avatar passing by. And now you want to fill my ears with more nonsense, we will reroute our course to the island that is two days away." Prince Zuko said walking towards the door that led to the main hall. Just as he was about to open the door a Lieutenant came out and bowed excessively to the Prince.

"I am sorry to interrupt you, Prince Zuko. But I think you should see this, sir." The Lieutenant quickly hands the angered prince a telescope.

"Where?" Zuko barks. The nervous Lieutenant hastily points in the direction, in which the ship was headed. Zuko carefully focuses the lens on the object that the soldier said was so important. A bright burning flame filled his scope's vision. The Prince gasps.

"The Avatar! Speed up the ship to full speed and make a direct course to the left hand side of the island. How long will it take to get there? What is the name of this island?" The Prince shouted.

The soldier gulps. "We'll arrive at the island tomorrow night, and for a name? It has none, sir, it was," He gulped again. "Uncharted."

Zuko's eyebrow twitches, there is silence for a moment. "What are you doing here! I told you to speed up this ship! Move!"

The soldier quickly runs back inside. The Prince takes a calming breath then slowly goes to sit next to his uncle. He picks up his cup, but before he takes a sip he whispers. "Don't say it, Uncle." Iroh hides a smug smile behind his raised teacup and sits drinking tea with his nephew.

Their campfire roared to life making Sokka grab and pull his sister and Aang out of the way. Natasha was left to be engulfed in the masses of flames that had erupted into the sky just a second ago. Katara and Aang staggered up and looked into the flames. "We have to put the fire out!" Katara yelled, pulling out her canteen and bending the water to try and put the mile high fire out. Aang, having a little experience in fire bending, tried to push the flames back down to their original, normal form. "Sokka! Get Natasha out of there!" He cried at the older boy, his voice twisted with the effort of concentration. Sokka edged his way to the flames and got as close to the fire as the heat allowed him. The fire was so bright that his eyes were beginning to burn, but...There! A hand was reaching out of the fire! He grabbed that hand and pulled her as hard as he could.

The flames kissed her skin, giving her reassurance and warmth. She opened her eyes to find her vision filled with the red, orange, and yellow of fire. A smile crept to her lips as she lifted a hand to caress the friendly blaze that made all of her problems go away. She breathed in the musky scent of burning wood and lifted her hand out further. A firm hand gripped her wrist. Natasha winced as her feet moved from their rooted place in the blaze and went beyond the protectiveness of the fire. When she emerged from the flames and saw the familiar sight of the three travelers she suddenly felt extremely tired. Her body went limp, but the others didn't let her fall. Their arms wrapped around her and led her to her tree.

The fire cried as Natasha left its presence and quickly returned to its regular size. Katara and Aang stopped bending and came to help support Natasha's frail body. Her eyes were glazed and her odd shoes were on fire, but she didn't seem to notice. They laid her down by her tree and watched as she breathed in and out, in and out, finally closing her eyes. "Aang go get some water for me!" Katara said. He nodded, stood and ran through the woods to the nearby creek with Katara's canteen. Katara turned her attention back to her patient. She looked at Natasha's face, then at her arms, then at her feet. The fire had completely burned and melted away her shoes, but her feet, like the rest of her, was completely unharmed. "Katara?" Sokka said quietly. "Weren't her feet on fire a minute ago?" Katara nods her head. "Then why isn't she burned?" Katara looks up at her brother. "I don't know, Sokka." she said quietly. "Who do you think made the fire burn like that?" She asked nodding in the direction of the now, ordinary campfire. Sokka's eyes strayed past her to Natasha's face. "It couldn't be her!" Katara said angrily spreading her arms out blocking Sokka's view of the sleeping Natasha. "It could have been Prince Zuko, or Admiral Zhao." She suggested half heartedly. Sokka shakes his head. "There's no way they're on this island, we would have seen the smoke form their ships." It was then that Aang came hurriedly back carrying the canteen. "Thank you, Aang." Katara said taking the canteen and tips some water onto Natasha's face. Natasha stirs and carefully opens her eyes.

"Thirsty." She croaks. Katara tips the canteen until a small trickle leads into Natasha's desperate throat. Natasha drinks and drinks, not stopping to take a breath until the entire canteen was dry. When it was all gone, she struggles to sit up as the others exchanged curious glances. Natasha surveys her three new friends and sighs. "Katara? Can you go get my mirror? It's in the blue bag, the bigger one, can you get it from Appa please?" Natasha asked folding her hands into her lap. Katara nods and goes to Appa. Out of earshot of his sister, Sokka glares at Natasha, "Who do you work for?" He whispered angrily. "Sokka!" Aang cries. "Shush Aang! I need to know this. Who do you work for!" He demands again. "I don't work for any one." Natasha said leaning her exhausted head against the base of the tree. "Don't play dumb, only fire benders can do what you just did! So spill your guts before I spill them for you!" He threatened. Natasha tensed, "I don't know what the hell a fire bender is! In the normal world we don't have those." She retorted. Sokka didn't let up. "This is the normal world, little girl, and _you are_ a fire bender, so that means your working for the fire lord. I knew you were trouble!" His words stung her. She stands up and shouts at the top of her lungs, "I am not a fire bender! You take that back!" Katara came running back a small mirror in her hand. "Sokka, what did you say to her!" She shouts. "She's a fire bender Katara! She's going to turn us in!" He shouts back at her. "WHAT THE HELL IS A FIRE BENDER!" Natasha screams, the fire jumps again, startling the three bickering young people.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Sokka asked staring wide eyed at Natasha. "What did I do?" Natasha whispered, staring wide eyed at the fire. "You bent the fire when you were angry." Katara said putting a comforting hand on Natasha's shoulder. Aang came over and put his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka, you're scaring her, she doesn't know any thing about our world, yet." He said guiding Sokka back to his seat next to Appa. Natasha takes the mirror Katara had handed her, and looked at her eyes. They were green, a little part of her insides crumbled, and her shoulders sagged. Katara looks sympathetically at her friend, then leads Natasha over to the fire to sit. "I'll start on dinner." She said, Natasha glances nervously at Sokka. Katara sighs, then says. "Aang can you talk to her? You know the most about bending, maybe you can explain it to her." Aang shakes his head and gives Natasha a warm smile. Sokka opens his mouth, but Katara and Aang glare at him. His shoulders sag and he goes back to polishing his blade.


	7. Future wounds

"How long do you think she'll sleep?" Sokka whispered to Katara. "Shush! As long as she wants to." Katara hissed as she put the finishing touches on Sokka's ripped pair of pants. "How did you get this rip any way? It looked like it'd been stretched." She continued, tying off the string and cutting it with her teeth. Sokka blushed, "Well, I guess it was from yesterday, I must have done something to them in all the excitement." Katara glanced at her brother. He looks at her and stares innocently at her. "How long did you stalk her?" She asked calmly folding up Sokka's, now, mended pants. Sokka gapes at his sister, then sighs, he should be used to his sister knowing everything about him, "Two hours after dinner, she ran down the beach and back." Katara nods then hands her sibling his pants back. Suddenly Aang pokes his head out from behind Appa, "Have you guys seen Momo, today? He usually stays with us when we're on an island." He asked looking all around the campsite.

Natasha opens her eyes at the sound of Aang's voice. She slowly turns her head so she can see the massive bulk of Appa. She groans loudly. 'I was hoping it was all a dream' she thought to herself. "MO-MO!" Aang calls. Momo, who had slept next to Natasha all night stirred and lifts his head, yawns, then slowly walks into view. "Momo there you are! What were you doing over by Natasha?" Aang asks scratching the lemur's ear. "Have you people no respect for the dead!" Natasha says, sitting up and stretching. She yawns, then slumps down and pulls out her cell phone. 10:15. "Why do you people get up so freaking early!" She said snapping her phone shut. Aang and Sokka exchange looks. "This is early for you?" Aang asks curiously. Natasha begins to rub her eyes, "Well, technically no, but I went to bed late." She stretched one more time then got up and staggered over to Appa.

"What time do we move out?" She asked climbing up Appa's tail and onto the saddle. "Probably when it gets dark, that way if any one _is _following us they won't see us leave." Sokka said professionally. Natasha nodded, she wasn't really paying attention, she was going through her things until she found what she was looking for; a brush and a bag of chips. "So can we like, go to the beach or something today? Or do you guys have other stuff to do?" She asked sliding slowly down Appa's side and landing next to Katara. Katara looks at her brother, who shrugs indifferently, then at Aang, who is busy playing with Momo. She looked back at Natasha who was brushing her hair. "I suppose... although there's not much you can do on a beach.." Natasha stops midstroke. "Not much to do? What do you mean by that? Have you never heard of tanning? Surfing? Sand castles? Back home a day at the beach was paradise." She said looking up at the brightly shining sun, smiling at such fond memories of days at the beach. "Well, I guess, Aang and I can practice water bending, while your doing that stuff..." Katara began, looking at Aang in the process. Natasha raises an eyebrow. "Waterbending? I thought there was only airbending and firebending..." She thought that over for a bit. "Maybe you guys could show me how to...bend water, that's if you want to of course." Aang danced up to her in excitement. "We'd love to show you! We could use an audience, just to, you know, to see how good our bending is. Right Katara?" He said happily. Katara smiles at the boy's enthusiasm. Sokka rolls his eyes.

"That's great! Now just let me eat something and I'll start to get ready." Natasha said, opening the bag of chips. "We already had breakfast, hours ago!" Sokka said smugly. "So?" Natasha asks pulling out a long orange tube like chip, and stuffing it into her mouth. "So! You, uh, missed it so you have to wait till lunch." Sokka stuttered, as she put another chip into her mouth. "Uh, what are you eating?" Sokka said hungrily, pointing to the bag of food Natasha had. "Oh sorry," Natasha mumbled. "Here try it, they're not supposed to be invented for a while, but I call it breakfast." She said offering one to each of the travelers. Sokka quickly snatched one and chomped on it as if he hadn't eaten in days. "Thanks." Katara said biting in to the chip slowly. "It's not bad!" Aang cried. "Well enjoy what you got, because this is _my_ breakfast." Natasha said teasingly. Sokka's stomach growled. "Come on, just one more..." Sokka complained, holding out his hands. Natasha got up and kept on eating the delicious chips, while she walked around to Appa's tail. "No." She said again and again as Sokka kept begging. Finally when she was on Appa's saddle, she threw Sokka the bag. "Yes!" He cries triumphantly. Natasha humphs and goes digging through her bag. When Sokka turns the plastic bag over, he finds it empty. "Err! Women!" he screams angrily, throwing the bag away.

"Ah ha!" Natasha says to her self, as she pulls out a big orange towel and her blue bikini. She then frowns as she also pulls out a dark purple one. "Hey Katara! I need your opinion on something." Natasha said sliding down Appa and staggering to Katara. Aang and Sokka who were beside Katara , both blush and turn away. "Ok, should I go with the strapless violet, or go noodle strap with the light blue." She looks at Katara who is also blushing. "What's wrong?" Natasha asks worriedly. Katara looks at the boys, "You two should go find something to do at the beach, ok?" "Uh, right we were just leaving, um, bye." They both said and went zipping out of the campsite. "What's with you guys? You act as if you've never seen a swim suit." Katara frowns at Natasha. "Aaauugg! Choose one of these and I'll show you what I mean!" "I don't want to see you're under ware!" Katara shouts her face flushed in embarrassment. Natasha stares, surprised at Katara. "Ok, first of all, I'm not stupid enough to show your brother and boyfriend my under ware, second of all these are swim suits! In my time you wear them to keep your regular clothes dry." She said angrily. "Oh... I'm sorry, I thought...well... It's just... your things are just very strange to us..." Katara stammered, embarrassed with her folly as much as her assumption of Natasha's nature. "I'll forgive you if you choose one!" Natasha said shoving the swim pieces in to Katara's face. ""Uh, go with the first one you said." She said pushing the suits out of her face. "We on the same page?" Natasha asked suspsiously. Katara nods. Natasha looks her friend up and down. "Do you have something like that? Something you wear to the beach to have fun?" Katara looks at the clothes she had on, "Any thing I have can be worn to the beach." Natasha smacks her hand onto her forehead. "Ok, I am going to help you out. You need to tan effectively, so...here." She said thrusting the blue suit into Katara's hands. "Oh I couldn't!" Katara cries trying to give it back to Natasha. "Just give it a try, there's no one of consequence on this island, so really you have no good reason to refuse. Just try it on." She said disappearing behind Appa. Before long Katara saw different clothes items being thrown on to Appa's saddle. She took a deep breath and quickly put on the thing Natasha had given her.

Natasha came out from behind Appa in her dark purple swim suit, her hair hanging down, encircling her face, beautifully showing off her now green eyes. She looks at her friend and bursts out laughing. Katara flushed and looked from Natasha's suit to her own. "They're made to keep your clothes dry, that includes your undergarments." Natasha said walking to Katara. Her eyes taking in the hilarious sight. "Ok, take off your, uh, under ware, and put only the swim suit on. Katara stares wide eyed at Natasha. "Hurry up! Before Sokka'll think I killed you with my super powers!" Natasha said shooing Katara to go behind Appa. Katara smiled at the joke of her brother and did as she was told. When she came out Natasha smiled with approval at her friend. "Now there's a pretty lady." She said folding her towel around her waist. Katara blushes, "I feel so...exposed." She said shyly. "Oh come on! Please? I really don't want to tan by my self!" Natasha begged. Katara smiled weakly. "Well, it's only for a day..." "Yes!" Natasha cried happily. "Grab your towel girl! We are going to party!" She said linking her arm with Katara's and only letting her get her towel before they started marching through the woods.

"Oh, Katara, I forgot something at camp. I'll be right back, you keep going." Natasha said running back to the camp. "No! You have to explain the swim things!" Katara yelled at her friend, but Natasha just waved her on. Katara looks down at the light blue suit she was wearing. 'What would Sokka think?' She mused to herself. 'What would Aang think?' She blushes and quickly pulls her fur towel around her shoulders and continues to the beach. When she reaches the beach, she sees Aang sitting next to Sokka, both talking softly to each other. She takes a deep breath and walks over to them. "Hey Katara!" Aang says innocently. Sokka looks at his sister, his eye brow's raised. "Where are your regular clothes?" Katara tightens her grip on her towel. "Natasha, gave me an...outfit, to wear for the beach today." Katara said weakly. "That was nice of her!" Aang said standing up. "Let's see it." Katara blushes and takes a step back. She opens her fur towel, when a wind comes up and whips the towel away letting the sun reflect the beautiful swim suit. Aang and Sokka gape at her. The bottom half was like a small pair of shorts with sky blue shade and dark blue jewels embroidered in as a belt. The top half had small wrinkles that showed off the blue broach in the middle that held the thin straps that wrapped around her shoulders. "Katara what are you wearing?" Sokka said retrieving her towel and handing it to her. Katara takes the towel but doesn't put it on. "Natasha said it's a swim suit...it's supposed to keep your regular clothes dry, while you swim." She said softly. Aang just stood with his mouth open. Sokka nudges Aang and he snaps his mouth shut, his face blushing furiously.

They all turned when they heard strange music coming from the woods. Soon Natasha came out of the woods, her towel wrapped around her waist and a small white object playing the music. "_This is story of girl, that cried a river and drowned the whole world_!" Natasha sang along with object. "What did you do to my sister?" Sokka cries stomping over to Natasha. She ignores him and walks closer to the ocean and unwraps her towel and lays it down on an even white part of the sand. She pushes a button on the thing and the music stops all together her, then places the singing object down on her huge towel. Sokka stares angrily at her, but a small thought tugged at the back of his mind. Her suit consisted of a shorts like bottom half, like Katara's but with a dark purple belt that was held together by a silver circle on the side. The top half was nothing but a wrinkled piece of cloth held by another silver circle in the middle. If he didn't hate her, he might actually think she looked... nice. Sokka blushes, and mentally slaps himself for having such strange ideas.

Natasha, after she was satisfied with her little area, strolls over to Aang and spins him around. "What do you think of Katara, _Aang_. Don't you think she looks nice, _Aang_?" She teased pushing him towards Katara. He blushes again and looks up at Katara. "Yeah, she looks, uh very nice." He stammered, smiling nervously. Katara blushes too, but is soon steered away by Natasha. "Come on let's go swimming!" She said excitedly pulling Katara along with her. When they came to the orange towel Natasha stops and stoops down and brushes some sand from her towel. "You guys want to come too!" She yells at Sokka and Aang, who are still staring dumbly at the two girls. "Katara put your towel near mine." Natasha said, getting up. She looks at the ocean and giggles with glee, then takes off running into an upcoming wave. "Hey wait! Don't you want to see water bending?" Katara shouts, Natasha was already knee deep into the water.

"She seems to like it here." Aang said casually from beside Katara. She shakes her head then turns to look at the young avatar. "Are you going to join her?" She asked nodding in Natasha's direction. Natasha was just taking the blunt of a small wave, gasping as the water climbed up her shoulders and down her back. "Might as well, since we're spending the day here and all." He said sarcastically. "I'll bet I could beat you to where Natasha is." Katara said challengingly. Aang grin evilly and runs back to Sokka and quickly removes his shirt. But Katara had taken that moment of pause to take a head start and was already in the water before Aang even had time to throw his shirt in Sokka's direction.

Sokka just stood there stupidly as Aang's shirt whapped him in the head. He then sits down hard on the ground. "Skiir?" a familiar little voice said from beside him. Sokka turns his head and raises and eyebrow at Momo. "Don't tell me you trust her too?" Sokka whined. Momo nodded his head as if he understood the question and takes off towards the girl's towel area. Sokka slumps in agitation, then he sees the little white music maker Natasha was holding just a minute ago. He looks at the other three and sees Katara and Natasha teaming up on Aang and splashing water on him. He then looks all around himself and quickly tip toes over to Momo and the towels. He casually sits down next to Natasha's towel. He looks at the music maker. It was a white colored thing, with funny green colored circles on the sides. It had three legs, a horn shaped nose and ears, and two goggly eyes. He picked it up and slowly turned it around in his hand. "Hey! Don't touch that!" Some one screamed from the water. Sokka looked up and saw Natasha running rapidly through the ocean waves and racing towards him. She slows down and quickly snatches the odd thing out of his hands. "What are you doing! This is mine!" She said accusingly. Sokka stood up insulted. "That could have been a new type of bomb, or something! I was just making sure!" He yelled at her. "Well it's not! And why do you keep thinking I'm this horrible, man killing monster!" She yelled back. "Sokka what did she do?" Aang said worriedly from behind them. "She's bringing all of this weird stuff with her Aang! They could be weapons! We should just leave her here and move on right now!" Sokka screeched. "But she needs us to get to the future!" Katara said from beside Aang. "Oh come on Katara! Do you really believe she's from the future? Maybe she just made the whole thing up to get into our camp, and rat us out to the fire nation!" He said cruelly glaring at Natasha. Her chin was sticking out in determination, but her eyes showed hurt and sadness. "She's crazy and she doesn't belong with us. She would only slow us down and keep Aang from learning the elements. And by the way, that's the only way he can save the world." Sokka said, then stalked off leaving the three swimmers alone with a lemur.

Natasha slowly crouched down and brushed some sand off of her towel. Her shoulders didn't move, so you could tell that she was holding her breath. Aang glares at Sokka and Katara kneels down next to her friend. "Natasha..." She began putting her hand on Natasha's shoulder. Natasha just shook it off. "Well I'm sorry I'm such a fuckin' bitch!" She cried in Sokka's direction, her voice breaking as tears flowed from her eyes. "I'm sorry, okay!" She screamed jumping up and, with the music maker still in her hands, pulled her towel out from under Katara, and started running towards camp. Aang and Katara exchanged worried glances, but both gathered their things and quickly followed Natasha through the woods, but they didn't notice that Natasha's footprints had turned the sand into stone.


	8. What now?

Natasha broke through the barrier of trees and stared angrily at Sokka, who was poking the smoldering fire with a stick. He looked up, his expression unreadable. Natasha, tears still flowing, hiccupped and trotted over to her things, and began to pack things away. Katara came through and glared angrily at her brother, then went to Natasha's side. Aang was a second behind her, coming up on the other side of Natasha. Sokka stared at them. Weren't they supposed to be _his_ friends?

He poked harder at the charcoals, forcing small bits of ash up in to the air.

"Hey? Natasha are you ok?" Katara asked weakly. Natasha looked at Katara and tried to force a smile, but her face just wouldn't listen. "Sokka didn't mean anything. He just thinks you're...different." Katara continued. Natasha had just finished rolling up her sleeping bag and stopped to examine her area. "Natasha, we don't won't you to go. You aren't holding us back at all." Aang said, trying to lighten the mood. Natasha hiccupped one last time, then wiped away the remaining tears. She the stood up and walked over to Appa, carefully avoiding Sokka. She walked up his tail and gathered up her three bags and walked back down. Sokka shot a guilty glance at her, then quickly looked down, her face wasn't sad any more, it was angry. She set her stuff down and put her back pack on, then picked up the four other bags and began walking towards the creek. Aang and Katara stood there. "Can you at least stay for lunch?" Katara asked. "Or could you stay and let us show you how to water bend?" Aang added. Natasha stopped and put her stuff down. She turned around and walked solumnly up to Katara. "Thanks for the dinner last night." She said sadly, leaning over and giving Katara, who was still in Natasha's swimsuit, a hug. She then turned to Aang, and gave a weak smile. "I'm glad you like the new color of my eyes." She then hugged him and walked back to her bags, gathered them up, then walked away, leaving her only friends in the world (literally) behind.

She walked to the beach and saw the little footprints they had all made in the sand. She looked and saw her footprints from last night's run and turned to the right, in the opposite direction. 'Stupid Sokka' she thought to herself. 'I _am_ from the future, and I am going to get home, whether you believe it or not!' She adjusted her bags and stumbled a little. She blushed and looked behind her and saw that no one was watching. Her shoulders slumped and a lonely desperate voice came to her mind. 'They are the only ones who can take you home. You should just say your sorry and go back.' Frustration flared inside of her. "HE insulted _me_." She grumbled to her self, "He thought I was going to hurt Aang and Katara. I wouldn't do that!" She looked up at the sky the sun was beating mercilessly down onto her. The sky was still a morning blue color, which ment that Natasha could still have her day on the beach, if she wanted to. Her gaze shifted to the ocean. "He thought I was a monster..." she whispered to her self. Her breath caught and her eyes watered again. She hurried on, leaving the waves with fresh tears to devour.

She stopped after an hour and set her stuff down carefully. She pulled out her partially wet towel and set it out to dry. She pulled out her MP3 player and put it on the saddest song she could find. That matched her mood perfectly. She sat down on the towel and layed down her back to the sun. 'Maybe something will kill me now,' she thought miserably to he self. She layed there for about a half hour before she turned over and layed there for another half hour. Finally she was bored. She sat up and surveyed her surroundings, the sky looked like it was after one or two-o-clock. She turned off her MP3 player and put it back into her laptop bag. "I'mmm...bored." she moaned. She stood up and wiped some stray sand from her legs. "This sun's gonna kill me in the morning..." She said to her self. "I must have darkened to, like, Katara's color." She sighed and turned to the ocean she then walked up to and upcoming wave. The foam wetted down her toes, and the cold made her shiver. She walked all the way in, until the water was up to her waist. She was still shivering, but not because of the cold. What could be in these waters? What if some ancient shark type creature wanted to eat her? Sokka's words came back to her. "_Do you scream at everything?"_ Her fear diminished and only pulsing determination pounded in her blood. She took a deep breath and sat down, letting the waves over take her head.

The silence of the waters was calming. Natasha opened her eyes to the blue waters. She choked and stood back up her hands on her eyes. "The water didn't hurt them!" She said blinking as the ocean water ran down her face. She stuck her finger in to the water then tasted a drop. "BLEH!" She cried spitting out the rancid salt water. "I can see under water!" She yelled diving into the next wave and swimming out farther. She was surprised to see that there were not any predators in the water, just small fish that were more afraid of her than she was of them. She rose for another breath an saw that she was well away from the island. She smiled evilly at the island. "HA SOKKA! I CAN SWIM OUT HERE! CAN YOU! NO YOU CAN'T!" She laughed and dove back in and began making her way back to the island.

Katara stood there sadly, watching as Natasha left the camp. She heard a log tip over from behind her. Rage flared inside of her. "Why were you so mean!" She cried at her brother. Sokka stood up. "Don't argue with me Katara! She can only cause us trouble!" "Trouble! How can she be trouble? We were going to leave tonight any way!" Katara screamed stomping over to over proud brother. "She wasn't going to delay us at all Sokka," Aang said calmly, his voice in a neutral tone. "All we had to do was take her to the next island, you two get supplies, while I go to a temple and see if I can cross over and get her back home."

Sokka frowned. "Well! She...She's a fire bender! Every fire bender in the world is with the Fire Lord, even the spoiled, banished prince, Zuko, works for him!" "Did you not see her yesterday! She didn't know she could fire bend!" Katara said her frustration with her brother growing with every word he spoke. "How do you explain she's from the future then!" Sokka said crossing his arms. "That's why I have to cross over Sokka. I need to find a way to get her back home, where ever that is." Aang said coming up in between the two siblings. "Why!" Sokka shouted throwing his arms into the air. "Because it's the right thing to do Sokka! She needs to go home, and we're the only ones who can!" Aang said losing his patience with Sokka. Sokka's eyes softened and he stood speechless. What could you say to that? "I hope your happy Sokka," Katara said quietly. "We were the only hope she had. And she thinks we see her as a monster." Sokka slumped his shoulders and kicked at the dirt beneath his feet. Katara walked off in a huff and Aang just shook his head, then walked over to Appa and began grooming his giant beast.


	9. We meet

Natasha surfaced for the last time, her feet finally touching the sandy bottom of the island. She stood up happily, and hurriedly ran out of the water. She ran up to her towel and layed down heavily, panting. 'I've missed swimming, I hope I get back home before swim seasons over.' She frowned at the thought of home, but she was determined to stay in this good mood. She wiped her hands on the towel and went searching through her bags looking for food. She saw her prize and greedily pulled out the long round tube of Pringles chips. She opened the top and took the first chip out with care. Something landed on her back, startling her into a yelp. She looked back and saw innocent Momo sitting on her shoulder. "Kinda wet up there." She said sarcastically. Momo crawled down into her lap, and handed her a weird looking fruit. "For me? Aww you're so sweet." She said cutely accepting the gift and setting her chips aside as she nibbled on the odd looking fruit. "Kinda tastes like Katara's soup." Natasha said in between bites.

Momo ran in a happy little circle in her lap then took off into the air. "Hey wait! You don't have to go!" She cried at Momo, but he was already too far away to hear. Natasha sighed and looked at the sky and saw that the horizon was turning pink and orange. She frowned and looked at the water. It was getting closer to her little spot. Something knocked on her head. "Ow!" she cried picking up the fruit that hit her and looked at the thrower. It was Momo, his small body gliding on the sea's wind. "Hey! Do you think we can take me to where you found this?" She yelled holding up the fruit. "The tides coming up and I don't have a place to stay." Momo chirped and started flying away. "Wait! Wait for me!" She cried quickly gathering up her stuff and walking awkwardly off the beach and into the darkening forest.

She finally arrived at a huge tree with large roots reaching out from it's base. Momo was hanging upside down on a low branch munching on a fruit. "Thanks for waiting." She panted dropping her stuff and throwing her towel on a low branch. A cool night breeze blew past, making Natasha shiver in her still wet swimsuit. She went to her blue bag and pulled out the same pjs she wore last night. She glanced at Momo and went behind her towel, which acted as a barrier so she change in peace. When she was done she pulled out her sleeping bag and bent down and unrolled it in a small, nest like area of the roots. She then just sat on her sleeping bag and looked at her feet. "Those were the only shoes I brought..." She mumbled to her self, rubbing her cold toes with her hands. Momo chirped pitifully and flew down onto her shoulders and snuggled into her hair. Natasha's lips curved into a warm smile. "Will you stay with me again Momo? This is the first time I didn't have anyone with me out side in the dark." She scratched his chin and looked back at the sky, the sun had almost completely set. Another breeze blew, sending more cold air onto Natasha's body. She coughed and rubbed her bare arms. "I'm still not tired..." She said quietly to her self. "I wish I had a fire." She said pulling her knees up to her chin, she coughed again.

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh said from the hallway. "What is it!" A grumpy prince shouted from behind the closed door. "I thought you should know that it is after dark, and we have landed on the Uncharted Island..." Iroh said, trying to keep the humor out of his voice. The prince groaned and put his head in his hands. 'I'm never going to live that down.' He thought silently to himself. He got up from his meditation stance and went to his door and opened it to find his uncle rubbing his beard. "I'll meet you on deck in ten minutes. Gather four scouts and tell them to search for the avatar's camp. If they find him, they will report back to me. They will not attempt to infiltrate the camp, they will report it and wait for my order." Iroh nodded his head. "As you wish." Zuko closed his door and left his uncle in the hallway alone. He went to a corner of his room and quickly put his armor on.

When he reached deck, the ship was already on shore and his uncle and four privets were waiting for him. He walked over to his uncle, who was giving the orders to the four soldiers. "If any of you compromise this mission, you will face my wrath." Zuko added threateningly. The soldiers shifted nervously. "CAPTAIN!" Zuko shouted to the control room. "LOWER THE PLANK!" The captain nodded and did as he was told. "Each of you will separately search. Right to Left. I will start on the left hand side. If you find anything, tell my uncle. He will send for me. You will wait on me." He stalked off of the ship in the lead and sent each man on his way.

When he was done he looked down the beach. There were five sets of footprints. He scowled at the extra set of footprints. His eyes followed them, finally his eyes rested on a half eroded print that showed that the maker had layed down to rest. He then saw that some more footprints led straight into the forest. He sneered at his stroke of luck. "I know your out there avatar." He whispered as he made his way to where the footprints entered the forest. He stopped at the edge. "And tonight I will find you."

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Natasha took her hair tie and wrapped it neatly around her hair, making a small low bun, with hair sticking fashionably out of the top. She then pulled out her cell phone. 8:30. "Why does the sun set so early!" She coughed again. Momo ran out of her lap and sat down on her feet, trying to keep them warm. "Thank you, Momo. I'm glad you know what to do when someone needs help." She smiled at him and rubbed his ears. Another cold wind blew, setting her on another coughing fit. "I'm cold." She said pitifully.

Zuko heard a noise and quickly hid behind a tree, he looked out again and didn't see any thing. He crouched down and kept low as he made his way to the noise. As he got closer he saw a strange light. It disappeared in the blink of an eye and then he heard the noise again. It sounded like...some one coughing? He pushed away a few branches and saw a girl. Her hair was up and her clothes were strange looking. A little lemur was sitting on her feet. It looked familiar. "I wonder if Katara has made her soup yet." She said to her self. Katara. Zuko widened his eyes in disbelief. Katara was that waterbender that traveled with the avatar. And that lemur! It was the avatar's pet. That ment the avatar must be on the island! But where? He looked at the girl. She's with the lemur, which means that she knows where the avatar is.

He rose up from his hiding place and stood directly in the girl's sight. "Where is the Avatar?" He shouted. The girl was so surprised at his entrance that she also stood up and knocked the lemur off of her feet. "Who are you?" She stammered. Momo hissed at Zuko. "Don't change the subject. Where is he?" "Why do you want to know?" She asked suspiciously. "Tell me now!" He said lighting his hands on fire. She gasped and backed up. "How did you do that? Are you a fire bender?" Zuko came closer his hands making the fire bigger and bigger. She hit the tree and looked desperately for an escape. "I won't ask you again, woman. Where is the avatar?" "Please don't hurt me!" She whispered. Zuko lost his patience. He thrust his lit hand at her. She dodged and began to run, but she tripped over a root. Zuko took that opportunity to throw a fire ball at her. She looked back, her green eyes flashed and a wall of water rose up from around her and doused the fire. "So you're a water bender!" Zuko growled, "No! No! I'm not a bender! I swear!" She screamed crawling back on her hands until she hit another tree. Zuko threw another fire ball at her. "Aaaaah!" She screamed throwing up her hands to protect her face.

Air around her hissed as she waited for the fire to sear through her. When at last it didn't come. Natasha opened her eyes. The fire that the guy had hurled at her was dying in front of her as it swirled around in a slow circle. She looked at the guy and saw that he was gaping at her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..." She began. The guy closed his mouth and looked all around him. "You did that?" He said slowly. "I'm so sorry, I just...please..." She stuttered. "You can manipulate water _and _air!" He asked harshly. Natasha shrank back against the tree, she saw movement behind the man dressed in red armor. It was Momo! He was quietly making his escape. 'I hope he'll bring Aang' she thought to herself.

'How is this possible!' Zuko screamed into his head. 'There can't be _two_ avatars in the world, that's never happened before.' _"When you have captured the Avatar, you may return home with your honor." _The familiar words of Zuko's father rang through his head. 'But there is supposed to be only one avatar, not two!' He thought, the girl slowly moved her leg up and began to stand up. "Don't try any thing." Zuko growled. The girl froze her eyes fixed on his hands, then on his face. 'If she can manipulate two of the elements...maybe she could do the other two as well.' "What kind of bender are you?" Zuko said taking a step forward. The girl winced.

'Monster...Sokka thought I was a monster because I did weird things.' Natasha thought to herself. She looked down at her hands, "I guess I just did something Aang can do, but Katara never showed me anything about water, I did that on my own I guess." She muttered her hands tightening into fists. She looked down at her feet, then glanced at the stranger. Maybe he could be nice... "And yesterday..." She hesitated.

"What?" Zuko asked roughly. The girl's breath caught, "Yesterday...I made a campfire really big, and I was inside it, but it didn't burn me, it just melted my shoes." She rose her foot up as proof. 'A water, air, and fire bender! She has to be an avatar.' Zuko looked the girl up and down, her hair was coming undone and her feet looked as if they'd gone over a mountain. He glanced at her camp. All it consisted of were some cores of fruit that had been eaten, a sleeping bag, and some sort of luggage. A merciful breeze came by, cooling him under his heavy armor, but the girl shivered and coughed. "What's your name?" She asked quietly. The prince squeezed his fists. "My name is Zuko." He said quietly. "Hi Zuko, I'm Natasha, and Momo is..." Natasha stopped short and clamped her mouth shut.

Zuko quickly looked around, the lemur was gone! "You sent for help didn't you!" He yelled. "No! I didn't! He got scared and ran away!" Zuko advanced towards the girl and grabbed her wrist and began racing through the woods. "Where are we going?" She cried as they ducked and dodged in and out of trees. "Stop asking questions! Follow me and I won't hurt you." He said.

Natasha's feet began to sting, she glanced down as she dodged through the trees. There was dirt and sand with dark red touching at the edges. She stepped on a rock and bit her lip. When at last they reached the beach Natasha gaped at the humongous ship. In her time, a ship like this was an antique! "UNCLE!" Zuko shouted, as they clambered up the iron plank. A large older man came up to meet Zuko's call. "What is this Zuko?" He asked, looking curiously at Natasha. "Are there natives on this 'Uncharted' island?" He asked smiling. Zuko growled. "Take her to the intogerration room," He said thrusting Natasha at his Uncle. "Call back my men, we're setting sail." With that he stalked off to the Navigation room. Natasha stared wide eyed at everything around her. The man sighed and looked up and shouted, "Captain blow the returning horn and start up the engines, prepare to take off!" He looked back Natasha, his hands set professionally inside his dark red sleeves. She collapsed at his feet, her head touching the cold floor respectfully, What else was she supposed to do? The man chuckled, he bent down and raised her hands, making the rest of her come up as well. "No need for formality, dear, and don't worry, my nephew will just ask you a few questions, then you can go back home." She looked up at him, 'How could he know I'm from the future?' she thought silently. She let herself be pulled all the way up, but her knees buckled as pain ran up her legs. Zuko's uncle looked at Natasha's feet, his expression blank. Natasha gulped and tried to walk on her own. "Here, let me help you." He said kindly. He gave her his arm. "The men won't be back for a while... Let's get a healer look at you feet. By the way, my name is Iroh. For as long as your on this ship, I will see to it that you are treated kindly." She smiled at the man, he seemed like such a friendly man compared to his nephew. He waited expectantly, but she stayed silent, not wanting to give her name out freely. He smiled sympathetically and opened the door that led to the labyrinth of hallways and rooms that the iron ship held. "Well miss, welcome to the ship."


	10. Talk

Sokka had stayed huddled next to the dying fire while Aang and Katara went around the dark camp, preparing for the night's flight. He knew that they were angry with him and that they were ignoring him. He sighed inwardly, maybe he could just apologize to Natasha and make everyone happy. A far away voice let out a scream, it sounded like a girl. "What was that?" Katara asked, concern showing on her face. "I think it was Natasha." Aang answered, gripping his staff harder. "We should help her!" Katara said, "We'll split up, Aang try and go through the forest to find her, I'll go to the beach and follow her footprints if the tide hasn't washed over them yet. Also send Momo to fly on ahead." "You can't." Sokka said solemnly. "And why not, oh great brother of mine?" Katara asked sarcastically. "Is it because she can make music, or has strange food? Or maybe is it because she's different. She lives different, or...wears odd outfits. Or, my personal favorite, because she's a girl. Which one of your lame excuses do you have for us, Sokka?" Sokka's guilt showed on his face, but Katara's anger with him didn't falter. Sokka gulped, "Momo's gone." Aang gasped and began looking around frantically for his lemur.

"MOMO!" Aang called, Appa joined him in the calling, roaring and moaning with all his might. An answering screech came not far above them. They all looked up to see a blur of black and white fur heading straight for them. He collided with Aang's head and was crawling around on Aang, trying to get his attention. "Momo! What is it!" Aang cried, trying to catch the wild lemur. Momo sprang to the air and began to circle the camp, chirping and screeching madly. Appa moaned, shaking his head, he then began to take off. "Appa wait!" Aang cried, hauling a few more bags on to the huge saddle. Sokka grabbed a bag and threw it to Aang and then ran to get on the departing bison. Katara was right behind him, her canteen in hand. Appa grunted with the extra weight, but then righted himself and followed the tiny Momo.

"Where are we going!" Katara cried, hanging on to the loose luggage and tying it down as Appa turned to show them the coast, with a black ship rammed into the sandy shore. "Zuko." Aang breathed, his face drained of its usual cheerful smile. They looked closer and saw four small figures coming from different directions on the beach. "Why is Momo taking us to a fire nation ship?" Katara yelled above the wind. Sokka's heart sunk. "He has Natasha." He said quietly. "But why would he want her?" Aang asked from his place on Appa's head. "What element does she control?" Sokka asked looking at his sister. "Fire..." Katara said her eyes wide in astonishment. "She really was a spy." Katara whispered. Momo veered and came and landed by the two siblings. He rubbed his head against Katara's hand and then pointed in the ship's direction. "What should we do Katara!" Aang said sympathetically from his perch. Katara couldn't hide the hurt from her face. "We should keep going. We're already behind schedule, let's just fly to the next island." "What about Natasha?" Aang asked. Katara shut her eyes and curled into a ball. "Keep flying Aang." She said into her knees.

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The healer knelt and put a wet cloth to Natasha's bloody feet. She held in a scream as he rubbed the scratchy cloth against her sensitive feet. "Maybe if we put her feet in a basin of water? The water will clean just as well in a bowl as on a cloth." Iroh suggested from beside the bed that Natasha was sitting on. She nodded her head vigorously, biting her lip in pain. The healer nodded and quickly got the water and set it near Natasha's feet. He helped her dip her feet in gently, one at a time. A blanket of relief wrapped around her as the cool water made the pain in her feet go away. She closed her eyes in happiness. She heard the healer gasp, and Iroh grunt. She opened her eyes, to have a soft blue glow around her feet. She screamed and lifted her feet from the water. The glow disappeared, but the surprised expressions of the healer and Iroh did not. "You are a water bender." Iroh stated, his face stern but his eyes merry. Natasha sat with her mouth open, her feet still in the air. She started to cough, snapping everyone from the silence. Iroh nodded to the healer, who quickly went to her feet and examined them closely. "They're fine. Completely healed." He murmured. Iroh put his hand on the Natasha's shoulder. "Well, we will want to keep it that way, won't we? Measure her feet and get her some soft shoes." He said kindly. The healer nodded and put his hand to her foot. "One hand, and...a thumb.." He mumbled, then left the room.

Natasha stared at the floor, waiting in misery for him to say something. "Have I done something to offend you, miss?" Iroh asked nicely. She stole a glance at his face. "I...I'm not a waterbender..." She began. Just then the healer returned with a pair of dark red shoes. He knelt and slipped the shoes onto her feet easily. The shoes were simple to Iroh, but to Natasha they seemed to be a treasure. "It feels like silk!" She said wiggling her toes, her eyes wide in amazement. Iroh laughed. "Come, my dear." He said standing up and holding out his hand. "Zuko will be expecting you in the intogerration room." "Did I do something wrong?" She asked worriedly, taking his hand. He smiled. "Like I said, it's just a few questions, then you can go home." She didn't look convinced, but she followed him willingly into the labyrinth of halls.

When they arrived to the intogerration room, Zuko was already there. He glared at his uncle. "I said to take her straight here, Uncle." He stated angrily. "Nephew, so good to see you too." Iroh said pleasantly. Natasha entered the room, her face one of bewilderment. All that was in the room was a small table, built low to the ground, and two flat pillows on opposite sides. "When I say, take her to the intogerration room, I wish for you to take her there immediately." He said in a threatening tone. Natasha tried to cover a cough, but failed. Zuko glanced at her and seemed to notice her for the first time.

A great shudder went through all of the ship. It creaked and wailed as it began to lurch beneath their feet. "What's happening?" Natasha cried, supporting herself in the door way. "Our ship is departing from the island." Zuko said turning back to his Uncle. "Uncle, leave us." Iroh nodded to his nephew, then bowed to Natasha. "I will have a room made up for you, miss. Zuko will take you to it when he is done with his questions." Zuko glared at his uncle. "Won't you Zuko?" Iroh said happily. Zuko bit his tongue and nodded his head slowly. "Good! I will see you at breakfast tomorrow! Zuko will come and wake you." Zuko clenched his fists, but before he could say anything, Iroh had bowed to Natasha and left.

Natasha stared at Zuko. He still had his armor on, and she noticed his face for the first time. Zuko caught her staring and quickly sat down on a pillow. "Sit, girl." He said curtly. She sat. He closed his eyes to gather himself. 'She can control water. She can control air. She says she can control fire. I have to work with that some how.' He thought to himself. He opened his eyes to find the girl staring at him with her green, green eyes. He blinked, "What is your name?" He asked at last. "I already told you." She said quietly. Zuko wrinkled his nose, he had forgotten that. "Where do you come from?" He tried again. She hesitated. "Earth." She answered. Zuko frowned. "What element do you control?" He asked trying to keep his voice even. "I already told you." She said again. Zuko clenched his fists making steam rise from them. There was a small silence. "Why are you mad at me?" She asked quietly. The question surprised Zuko, he cleared his throat and went on. "Where you ever with the Avatar?" "Yes." She said somberly. Zuko straightened his back. "Why were you with him?" "He said he'd take me home." She answered sadly. "Where is he going now?" He asked. "Are you going to take me home?" She asked. Zuko flinched. "Katara said that the Avatar could take me home. When they stopped at the next island, we were going to find a place to take me back home." Zuko's face brightened. "Which island were they going to?" He asked eagerly. She looked at him. "Your not angry anymore." She stated, looking down at her new shoes and fingering the silk. 'Is she playing a game with me?' Zuko asked himself. "Do you know which island they were going to or not?" He replied testily. It was her turn to flinch. She then started to cough. "No." She said. Zuko sighed inwardly. "What...color are my eyes?" She asked shyly. 'She is playing with me!' He yelled in his head. "Green." Zuko replied as calmly as he could. Natasha looked down disappointed, then something occurred to her. "What about my stuff? Where has it gone?" She asked worriedly. Zuko looked puzzled. "My things, the luggage that was at the fruit tree that you found me at." She said clutching her knees. "They were left there. We needed to ship off as soon as possible." He replied, recalling the heaps of luggage that made up most of her campsite.

"YOU WHAT!" She cried slamming her palms onto the table. "Those were MY things! We need to go back _now!_" She said angrily, standing up and glaring at the still sitting Zuko. "We are not going back for meaningless items!" Zuko cried back standing up and glaring at her. "We _have _too! That's all I have left! Those 'meaningless items' mean the Fucking world to me!" She screamed, walking to the door. Zuko, stunned by her use of foul language, reached out for the nearest thing. It happened to be her wrist. "Let go of me!" Natasha screeched yanking her arm as hard as she could. Zuko held firm, growling at the effort it took to restrain her. "LET GO!" She roared, grimacing in pain at Zuko. "We've already left the island, and there's no way you can swim back, especially in the dark. You..." His voice was muted, as another sound filled her minds ear. It wasn't the Voice of the Waterfall that had come to her on the island, but a sort of calming, rippling hum.

Zuko tugged harder on her wrist, when she just gave up all resistance and came crashing into him. He caught her and stood there not knowing what was going on. He pushed her out of his arms blushing, then looked at her face. Her green, green eyes looked dreamish and distant. "What the..?" Zuko said as she didn't seem to notice herself falling. He grabbed her and righted her. Her eyes focused and she froze as she felt his arms on her. Zuko blushed and put his arms at his side. They stood staring at each other until finally: "We're done for tonight." Zuko said as he opened the door and walked out. "Wait!" She cried. Zuko stopped, but did not turn around. "Your Uncle, Iroh, right? He said that you would take me to a room." She said softly, still embarrassed about her black out.

He grunted, and turned into another direction, beckoning her to follow. She walked hastily out of the iron room tripping slightly on her new shoes. They went by many doors, each one melting into the next. Their foot steps echoed through the halls with hisses and creaks every now and then, the sounds went muted as they turned another corner and the calming rippling hum returned, she hadn't realized that she had blacked out again, until Zuko stopped and she didn't. "What are you doing!" Zuko snarled at turning and pushing his face close. The sound of the hum faded and Zuko's question sounded like thunder as the noise of the ship, and him, came back. Natasha blushed and quickly looked at her surroundings. Zuko was standing at a door that looked like the rest she had past. He snorted and opened the door, revealing a room of a small cot, a round window, a desk with two lit candles, and a stool. She walked in and coughed. "There are extra blankets and clothes in the privy." Zuko mentioned nodding to a thin door that was opened and showed a long, deep tub, and a seat with a hole in it. "Thank you." Natasha murmured, turning to face the armored Zuko. Zuko caught her staring at his face again and glared. "It is not polite to stare." He said mockingly. She blinked. "Your eyes are gold." She breathed. Zuko tensed. 'My eyes? Is she blind? I thought she was looking at my scar...' He winced at the thought of his scar. "And yours are green, I will wake you as my uncle said. Goodnight..." He hesitated. "Natasha. My name is Natasha." She said kindly. With that he walked out and closed the door.


	11. Hum me away

She didn't breath. How could she? She backed up slowly, her fingers twitching and her heart thudding. She hit the iron wall and crumpled to the floor, finally taking a ragged breath. 'How did I get here!' She screamed in her mind. 'First an island, an avatar, a lemur, aloneness, then a boat with people in armor? Come on! Why would you need armor on a boat!' She sighed. "I can't do anything about it." She said out loud laying her head back on the wall. "It's not like this is a bad place… Maybe they can take me home. Or maybe Aang and Katara will rescue me." The idea gave her hope, but they were crushed as the image of Sokka's angry face came to mind. She wrinkled her nose and put her knees down and put on her thinking cap. "Hmm. If this is a ship, then sooner or later it will have to stop for fuel or supplies, or both." She stood up with solid hope in her heart. "And I could just sneak off this antique and go to a shrine like Aang said, and go home." She laughed. "It's simple! I could be home in, like…. I don't care! I could be going home and that's good enough for me!" She took a deep breath, and coughed. "Crap, they won't be inventing cough medicine for a while…" She sat on her cot and carefully took off her new shoes, a tune came to mind and she began to hum it. At last she pulled the covers up and she had stopped the tune, but the humming had not.

The candles had almost completely gone out but the humming did not die down, in fact as Natasha felt the boat rock on each wave, she could have sworn it was getting louder. At last she sat up. "Who's there?" She called. The sound of metallic wind chimes answered her. She took a deep breath and stood up, although she could barely see, she made it to the door and into the hall like she had done it a million times. "Ok! Where do I go now?" She said loudly. A small bell chimed in her ear, she nodded and started walking.

"Oh, the sweet cakes taste even sweeter when they are had late at night." Iroh said to himself as he walked out of the kitchen. He belched and patted his content stomach. He walked on, purposely taking a small detour, leading him to his nephew's door. He knocked cheerfully. There was a muffled 'come in' behind the door. Iroh opened the door, but stayed in the hall, out of range of Zuko's fury. "How went the intogerration?" He asked casually. "Uncle, it is late. Can we talk tomorrow?" Zuko said groggily. "Zuko, I am your Second in Command, it is my job to know what goes on in this ship, especially when it is about the Avatar." Iroh said half seriously, half mockingly. "I have already told the Captain to head for the next island. That is all I could get from her." Zuko said directing his attention to his candles. Iroh raised his eyebrow, Zuko only broke eye contact when he was hiding something. "Well the…" He began but he heard a noise at the end of the hall. He turned to see the girl walking straight at him. "Are you lost?" He inquired politely. She slowed, but did not stop. The expression on her face was that of confusion and distraction. "Zuko, come here." Iroh said to the open door. Zuko got up silently and looked at what his uncle was.

The hum grew louder and more urgent, as Natasha made her way through the halls. She turned a corner to see Zuko's uncle, Iroh, in the hall. She was about to say hello, when the bells rang furiously in her ear. It looked as if Iroh had said something to her, but it was muted, as were all the other sounds of the ship. Zuko appeared from the door Iroh was standing by. He had a no shirt on, showing a muscular chest, and strong arms, but his face showed grumpiness and disbelief. She passed them and went on, not knowing completely where she was going. She then came to a door, and felt the need to open it. She grabbed the handle, but felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back to see the shirtless Zuko and his uncle standing behind her. They mouthed something that she couldn't make out. "I have to!" She said, not hearing her own voice in the hum. She tried to turn around, but a sound of loud surging water pounded in her mind.

She opened the door quickly, to have a salty breeze whip at her clothes. She walked out onto the deck, waiting for the next instructions. She felt the presence of Iroh and Zuko behind her, but she paid them no heed. The wind chimes beckoned her to the left. She ran to the side and gasped. She hadn't realized how far up she was. She gulped. And climbed up on the railing and put her arms out. The chimes gave a final call then let the sounds of the sea and ship come back. "What are you doing!" Zuko yelled over the wind, his hand lit so he could see her clearly. Natasha took a deep breath. "She says I'll be back, don't worry!" She yelled back, and let herself fall into the dark, cold waters of the open sea.

Zuko gasped and ran to the ledge the girl had just jumped from. Iroh was right behind him. They both stared, wide eyed as they saw the girl falling and splash into the sea. "MAN OVER BOARD! " Iroh bellowed, to the lookout, who was in the room above the ship, but the lookout, he remembered, was also eating a midnight sweet cake. "HALT THE SHIP! LOWER THE ANCHOR!" He continued, trying to rouse any one wake, then went running to the room himself to stop the ship. Zuko was about to go too, when the moon cast a bright reflection onto the spot where Natasha had landed. Zuko looked up and gasped. The moon was clouded over by an up coming storm. A crack of thunder made him jump. He looked back down, to see the reflection being left behind as the ship kept coasting, even with out the engines on. He ran down the side, following the light that was coming from _below_ the water and not above it. The ship had slowed and was almost completely stopped when a flash and boom came from the sky. Zuko finally hit the back of the ship to see the light a hundred feet from his ship. He growled and glanced back, the waves began to rock the huge ship, making it roll and rock sickeningly. He balanced himself against the railing, but kept his eyes on the light beneath the water. He suppressed a shudder as rain began to pour fat drops of water onto his bare back. He looked back at the light and saw that it was beginning to fade. He threw a final glance behind him, then climbed over the railing and dove.


	12. Gift?

"I'm here!" Natasha said into the water. There was silence. She was about to surface for air when a shield went up around her. It glowed bright and blue, it began to pull her downward she gasped and realized that she could breathe! She looked at her surroundings. There was nothing but sand and a far away swimming fish there, but the bottom of the sea was not that far, in fact she was almost there. When she reached the bottom, she was greeted by the friendly wind chimes. The bubble dissipated leaving her floating near a small mound. "Hello?" She called. "Hello." A deep voice said. The fish that was far away had come nearer, revealing himself to her human eyes. His scales were a deep red, and his fins and gills looked like gold. He had long whiskers and a graceful, flowing tail, but the most beautiful thing about him were his deep, wise eyes that were as black and glossy as the night sky. The sight of him left Natasha speechless. "I am the Keeper of Knowledge. I have lived since there was time, and will live until there is no time at all. You are Natasha, not of one who is of time, for you are here." He cast an inquisitive eye onto her dwarfed figure. "My mother, the One of All, has told me of your predicament. She has asked me for a gift to you." Natasha just nodded, still amazed by intelligence of this massive creature. "I will give, but only you can receive. Take away this sand, and you will have a teacher. But, if you do not, you will drown." He turned his graceful body and began to leave. "Master of Knowledge!" Natasha cried out, her words still clear, as if she were above the sea. "If you know everything, then do you know how I am to get home?" His eyes set upon her approvingly. "My sister shall take you home. She is the Guardian of the Seasons. She will take you to your right season. But remember young one; 'There are doors to everywhere and everything in the world, but it is you, not someone else that makes you step through the frame.'" He nodded to the sand and swam away. Natasha looked at the mound, and began digging furiously. A soft warm surface touched her hands. She tried to gasp, but salt water entered her mouth, making her want to throw-up. She pulled at the warm, round object and held it close to her. Her instinct took over and she put her feet firmly onto the sandy sea-floor and pushed off.

She began kicking ecstatically, while still holding the gift from the fish. The air in her lungs began to get stale, and her kicking was taking too much of it. Her legs were slowing and her chest was protesting painfully inside of her. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her upward. Air came to her lungs as if it were food to a starving child, she gulped in as much as she could before the huge choppy waves pulled her and her savior under. He pulled her up again, trying desperately to keep them both up. Rain and wind buffeted them as wave after wave pushed them farther and farther away from the ship. Natasha looked at the dark, deep water and realized that she was scared! She turned back to the ship and screamed for help, but the sea only forced more water into her nose and mouth. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" She screamed.

The waves joined together and the sky itself poured into the sea, as Natasha propelled a walkway of water from her and to the ship. Life pulsed inside the wave, as Natasha an arm on the gift, an arm controlling the wave, and a Zuko around her, went speeding to the once far away ship. The wave pounded the deck of the ship, almost sinking the entire thing. But Natasha controlled the destructive nature of the wave and pushed the water away, until she and Zuko lightly landed on the solid metal frame.

Her body was exhausted and shaking but she dared not stop. She looked down at the object in her hand, making sure she had a firm grip on it. Zuko was draped heavily onto her shoulder and started coughing up salt water. She half dragged, half carried him with her free arm to the ajar door that led to the labyrinth of halls, but she too was effected by the sea and was staggering under the weight of Zuko, the gift, and her own body. 'Oh God, oh God, oh God.' She kept thinking to herself, as she felt her way passed door after door. She finally found a familiar spot and the opened the door, it was dark but she could tell it was the one she was staying in. She made her way to the cot and left Zuko to position himself. She went to the desk wall, and bumped into the stool. Her skin was crawling from cold and fear. She took her free hand and opened the desk drawer and found her goal. She picked up the candle and held it to the dieing embers of the old one. It lit instantly, lighting the entire room.

Zuko had not moved from where she had dropped him on the cot. She quickly pulled the semi wet blanket over him and went to the bathroom for the extra blankets. She found two shirts two pairs of pants, two towels, and three blankets. She took out both towels and all of the blankets. She went back to Zuko, awkwardly holding the gift from the fish and her things. She pulled away the wet blanket and draped the towels over Zuko's wet body. She then put a dry blanket on and then put the original blanket on top. She started to cough again, but kept doing what she thought was right. She went back to the bathroom and set the round object lightly into the tub. The place where it had lain on her arm was warm. She looked in on Zuko and saw that his breathing was becoming normal, and that his eyes were closed.

She quickly stripped off her wet clothes and pulled on the shirt. While she was tying the knot to hold her pants up, she took a closer look at the gift from the fish. It was a dark purple oval that looked to be made of marble, but when she picked it up it felt no heavier than a cat. She rubbed her hands on its warm surface, and held its heat to her cheek. The humming came back, but it was no longer urgent, it sounded more like it was trying to lull her to sleep. She put it lightly against her stomach, and quickly regretted it. She dropped to her knees, and let the gift roll away, and bent over the seat with the hole in it and spewed sea water and fruit pieces. Coughing and choking she heaved until at last her stomach was empty. She heard the door open, but didn't have the strength to lift her head. "Zuko! You're alright!" A familiar voice cried happily.

Iroh went to his nephew and shook him awake. Zuko groaned and turned his head. "Uncle?" He croaked. He coughed heavily and let a blob of salt water escape his lips. "I thought I'd lost you." Iroh breathed feeling his nephew's forehead. He heard a bump from behind him, and saw the girl, clutching a round, purple stone, trying hard to stand up. He quickly went to her aid and pulled her arm over his shoulder. Zuko sat up, watching fuzzily as the blankets and towels fell limply around him. "How, did…you find me?" Natasha wheezed when she finally dropped to her two blankets. "There was water in the halls. I wanted to make sure it didn't flood our engines." Iroh said putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I followed the water and it led to here." Natasha took a deep breath and laid down, using the first blanket as a pillow and the second to cover her trembling body, then put the stone to her forehead. Iroh frowned and looked down worriedly at his nephew, who was coming to his senses.

Iroh hauled Zuko up and led him to the door. "I'll just talk to Zuko for a second, he can't go to his room yet, he's still too weak." Iroh said, knowing his words went unnoticed by the exhausted girl. The humming came back to Natasha's mind, soothing her as sleep folded it's ever so merciful blanket around her. She sighed and relaxed her tense body. Iroh led Zuko into the hall and closed the door. Zuko clutched his stomach and fell back against the hall way wall. "Zuko!" Iroh cried sympathetically. "What happened to you?" He said crouching down to Zuko's level. "The girl…" Zuko managed through clenched teeth. "The girl? She is alright Zuko. Did you save her? Did she save you? How did you get to her room? Where are you hurt? Oh Zuko I'm so happy you both are alright!" Iroh blabbered hugging Zuko as hard as he dared. "Uncle… Can….wait." Zuko wheezed his head spinning dizzily. "Oh, I am sorry, my Nephew. Yes, we shall talk tomorrow. You should rest." Iroh said wiping the tears from his eyes. He helped Zuko up again and opened the door. Zuko stumbled in to the candle lit room with his uncle at his side, and laid down heavily on the semi wet bed. The spinning feeling stopped, and Zuko didn't even remember falling asleep. Iroh looked back at the girl. "I do not even know your name, young one." He whispered, then went over and bowed to the sleeping girl. "Thank you, for saving my nephew's life." He whispered, then went to the iron door and left.


	13. Nightmare

"_Mom!" Natasha cried into the never ending darkness. She groped at a hand in the darkness; it was stone cold and lifeless. A crushingly heavy body fell on top of her, it too was lifeless. Her eyes watered and her heart beat faster. Everything was so cold….But she felt as if her insides were burning her alive. _

"_Mom! Mom!" She croaked, trying hard to scream but couldn't. She tried to force herself to move, but it all was in vain. The dead body grew heavier and her lungs couldn't breath the dark air. "Help…elp!" She wheezed trying to move her own body. Nothing was working…._

Zuko opened his eyes automatically to the sound of movement. Something wasn't right. He felt under his pillow for his knife, but it wasn't there. There was movement by the window. 'Since when do I have a window?' he thought absentmindedly. A rustling sound again. Zuko's instincts took over and he flipped his sore body into attack position on the bed. The room was plain, but it looked familiar. He looked at the base of the small window, where the noise was coming from, and saw a bundle of blankets. A body turned over and he recognized Natasha, even though her cloths were different and her hair was down, he could tell it was her. He looked at the completely melted candles and remembered blurred images of miles of the dark storming sea, and of being dragged through the halls of his ship, and of his worried uncle.

'How did we get back on the ship?' Zuko asked himself quietly. Natasha turned over again. Zuko looked at her and got up and went to her side. He looked at her and saw her shivering despite the cover on top of her. Her brown hair covered her face; he reached out subconsciously and brushed away the damp hair. Her face was pale and sweaty, yet her green eyes didn't open. Zuko was about to leave, but he saw an odd lump under the cover. He carefully pulled away the blanket and saw the most beautiful milky purple marble in the world. He stared at its magnificent beauty. His hands itched to rub against the marbles inviting surface. Suddenly, Natasha sat up screaming, the purple oval clutched tightly against her stomach. Zuko sat back on his heels, his eyes wide with surprise.

Natasha realized she was awake and began panting heavily, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She held the gift tighter to her stomach and let out one shuddering breath after another. She felt the presence of someone else and looked wildly at who it was. Zuko sat back watching passively as Natasha stared at him, her eyes bright and alert, yet brimming with sadness and fear. She looked down at his hand, watching it as if it were a snake about to strike. She reached out hesitantly and touched it lightly with two of her fingers. She shut her eyes and held her breath, there was silence. She opened her eyes and looked at the hand then at Zuko.

"You're real." She breathed, her eyes watered from withheld tears, but even so her heart was flooded with relief.

Zuko just sat; watching the girl as she withdrew her shaky hand and stared emptily at the purple marble. The glare of the round milky object caught Zuko's eye. Its hidden depths pulled at his mind, its purple waves seeming to shift and move, as if it were the sea and the tide. Small droplets of water drew Zuko from the marbles murky depths. He looked back at…..

'What was her name?' He thought quietly, her eyes blinked shedding more tears and revealing her green, green eyes.

'Natasha,' Zuko said silently, his own eyes softening at the sight of hers, 'Her name is Natasha.' She sniffed and wiped furiously at her wet eyes, her grip on the gift never faltering.

"I'm sorry…. I…D…Did I wake you?" She croaked brushing her hair with one hand and trying to wipe away the still falling tears. This question startled Zuko. "Yes." He said bluntly. Natasha took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Instead of making her feel better, the breath turned into another coughing fit. Natasha moaned and curled into a ball around the purple oval.

Zuko leaned closer, trying to see her face and what was troubling her. "What's wrong?" He asked quietly. Natasha opened her eyes, her mouth covered by her arm. She glanced guiltily at Zuko. "I had a bad dream." She said quietly. 'Oh God, it sounds so childish when I say it out loud!' Natasha thought to herself.

Zuko just sat there, not knowing what to do. Slowly he laid a warm hand on her back, trying weakly to comfort her. Natasha let out an inward sigh of relief, her heart felt normal and she once again had control of her body. She uncurled her body and let the gift sit comfortable in the nest of her crossed legs. Zuko removed his hand and turned his head to hide a blush.

Natasha sat staring at the gift, lightly stroking its gleaming surfaces. Zuko looked back at Natasha, then at the purple oval in her lap. Her green, green eyes glanced at him. "D'you want to touch it?" She said turning her body to face his. Zuko blinked, her eyes had held him captive while she was talking, only when she had focused on turning to face him could he look away.

Natasha mistook Zuko's darting eyes as curiosity. "Here come on, it's nice." She said cheerfully, reaching across the gap between them and taking his hands and placing them on the purple marble. Zuko gasped at the odd sensation under his hands. It was warm! Zuko glanced nervously at Natasha, who seemed pleased with his reaction.

"May I… hold it?" He asked shyly. "Sure." Natasha said, carefully wrapping her arms around the gift and placing it in Zuko's hands. Zuko closely examined the outside of the very light marble. Its milky and purple coloring was fading so that is was just a dark purple oval, and its warmth was fading. Zuko fingered the glassy feeling of the gifts outer layer, and he slowly became aware of a small pulse that seemed to come from the murky depths of the beautiful object. Suddenly a faint chime came to his minds ear. He shot a look at Natasha's face and found her smiling. 'I haven't seen her smile before.' Zuko noted in his mind. Another chime came to his mind, sounding closer and more urgent.

Zuko felt a great excitement well up from inside of him, he held the gift closer to him, but felt a pair of green eyes staring at him. He looked up again and saw Natasha holding out her hands for the return of the gift. "Did you here that?" Zuko asked her, holding the pulsing purple oval out to her. She smiled crookedly and put her hands beneath the gift. "Yeah, it sounds so pretty doesn't it?" He nodded as she clasped her hands firmly under the gift.

Natasha gasped, the gift began to vibrate aggressively. Both teenagers stared wide eyed at the oval gift as the ship began to rock violently as it had done in the storm the previous night. Both pairs of hands touching the marble, turned bright purple, Natasha clenched her jaw in pain as it felt as if freezing cold lighting seared through her arms and straight into heart and mind. She screamed and closed her eyes, but that didn't mean she couldn't see.

In her minds eye, she saw both her and Zuko holding onto the gift that was forcing wave after wave of pain into their bodies. But everything was in so much detail, the pulses that were sent to Zuko were gold, and the pulses sent to her were the color of a thousand forests. In between the bouts of pain, Natasha saw the shell of the gift fade, to show a universe of blue and white spinning in a dance in the center of the gift. At last the gift sent a finally wave of gold and forest green, and released it' hold on Natasha and Zuko. It sent out a blast of power sending both Natasha and Zuko rocketing to opposite sides of the small room. When Natasha hit the cold metal wall, both her minds sight and her eye sight went dark as she lost consciousness.


	14. I listen

Iroh stared through blood shot eyes at the up coming storm. "What should we do, Sir?" the Captain asked, eyeing the dark clouds suspiciously at his post from behind the iron wheel. Iroh turned his old neck painfully; the night of sleeplessness had not done him good. "Your commander, Prince Zuko, wishes to proceed after the Avatar. Keep on course to the next island." Iroh ordered, he rubbed the back of his neck. He turned around, "I shall see the healer for the pain in my neck." He said bowing quickly to the Captain and retreating to the small door that was on the ground. He opened the door and began to climb down the ladder.

"Sir?" A small privet whispered, when Iroh was half way down the ladder. "Umm?" Iroh said directing his attention to the armored solider on his left. "Is it true that the Prince was thrown off the ship in the storm last night? And if so, where is he now?" Although the privet was talking softly, Iroh could tell that the Captain and the solider on his right were listening closely to their conversation.

"Prince Zuko is here on the ship, he is resting until I send the healer down to look at him. Until Zuko is healed I shall be running this ship and making all the decisions." Iroh said loudly so the privet and the two eavesdroppers could hear him. With that he climbed down the remaining stairs and walked away as one of the soldiers closed the small door above him.

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'Wake up, my little chargeling. Wake up to this world.' A sweet voice chimed in Natasha's mind. Natasha sighed, there were no nightmares bothering her in this sleep, couldn't it stay that way for a while? She opened her eyes and blinked several times before sleep was all but a memory. She attempted to sit up, but stabs of pain nudged at her arms and chest. She groaned and sat up all the way, rubbing her heavy head.

'Come now, youngling. There is much to be done.' The voice said again. Something small moved in front of Natasha's vision, making her gasp.

"You're…You're, a….a." Natasha breathed, trying to take in what she was seeing. Four small paws, holding a shining claw on each finger, held four graceful legs. The legs moved in soft fluid motions bringing into view two sparkling wings, finally ending with a long smooth tail with a feathery tipping on the end.

'Come, come, my other pupil needs your help.' The dark purple creature said urgently, walking over to Zuko's limp body. Natasha tried to follow, but a wave came and pushed the ship out from under her feet. She tried to stand but again another wave came and hit the ship hard. Natasha gave up walking and settled for crawling to Zuko's side.

The creature sat, her long scaly neck perfectly arched to support a triangular head with a feathery mane encircling her face. Two sharp shining horns sprouted from her purple head, but what caught Natasha's eye were the eyes of this lovely creature. They were rounded and intelligent colored a dirty olive green while also showing black slits as pupils, like a cat's.

'He needs your help.' The sweet voice said again, nodding towards Zuko. "What can I do?" Natasha asked worriedly, breaking away from the sight of the beautiful dragon to concentrate on Zuko.

'Lay him flat and look at his chest.' The dragon instructed. Natasha did as she was told, gently moving Zuko into a horizontal position; he groaned slightly making her work slowly. She pulled away his arms and stared wide eyed at the black and blue bruising that lined both sides of his ribs. "What do I do!" Natasha whispered desperately. She glanced at the small dragon for the next instructions. 'Lesson one:" The chimes said calmly. 'As a waterbender you must always have water near you incase of emergency.'

Natasha worked, the little dragon made Natasha fill a small basin full of water and bring it to bend. She had Natasha practice breathing and the proper hand motions for bending small amounts of water. 'Breathe, remember push and pull, bring the water onto your hands.' The dragon's chime voice said again and again. Finally the water stayed in its place around Natasha's hands. 'Now, place your water hands onto his bruising, that is where the broken ribs will be.' The dragon said patiently. Natasha did as she was told placing her hands onto Zuko's wounds.

'How am I doing this?' Natasha asked herself as her hands began to glow. Instantly when she touched Zuko's bruising, the wounds healed and disappeared as if they were never there. At last when she had touched every one of Zuko's wounds including a cut on his shoulder, she waved her hands in the air. "How do I get it off?" She asked the dragon as the little thing examined the places where Zuko had been injured. The purple head looked up. 'Place your hands into the basin, relax your thoughts and let go of the water in your mind.' Natasha placed her hands in to the clay bowl and breathed in and out. The trapped water seeped from her mind as the water on her hands dripped away into the bowl.

'Good.' The dragon praised, going back to her examination of Zuko. When she was done she nudged at Zuko's head with her snout. 'Wake up my little charge. Wake up.' She said sweetly. Zuko winced, and then sighed opening his eyes. He sat up blinking rapidly.

"What happened?" He asked rubbing his head. "Are you ok?" Natasha asked looking at his head thinking she had missed a spot. He froze, and glared at the girl. He had just woken up, what was she doing right beside him? Natasha retracted, hurt showing on her face. She had just healed him hadn't she and this was her thanks?

'In answer to your questions: Yes he is ok, and as to what happened…' The little dragon said walking in between the two teenagers. "AAHHH!" Zuko yelled backing up to the iron door and staring wide eyed at the purple dragon. "What are you? How did you get on my ship? Where…" Zuko gasped in pain and clutched at his right side.

'Your companion healed you, young Zuko. But the healing would work better if you still rested for a while.' The dragon said calmly but firmly. She glanced back at Natasha who was still staring at the worried Zuko. 'If you will youngling?' She said motioning to the cot. "Oh! Sorry!" Natasha said going to Zuko and helping him to the bare cot. During the final blast of power the blankets and towels had been pushed off the small bed and were pressed up against the walls of the iron room.

When Zuko was settling on the cot, Natasha retrieved some blankets and squashed them into a ball before sitting on it as a seat. 'Now…' said the little dragon, sitting professionally in front of the two humans. 'What questions shall I answer first?'

Zuko and Natasha stared at the dragon, then at each other. "Well…." Natasha began slowly, looking back at the purple dragon. "Are you really a dragon?" She finished pointing at the fluttery wings of the dragon.

'Yes.' The dragon said twitching her tail slightly. "Then what's your name?" Natasha asked curiously. "And how do you know our names?" Zuko stared at Natasha. How could she be so blunt? It's practically insulting to be talking that way to such a noble creature! Who does she think she is!

'PUPIL ZUKO!' The dragon said aggressively, glaring at the prince. Zuko sat wide eyed, his heart thudding wildly in his still healing chest, those eyes were so piercing and dangerous. 'She can speak as freely as she wishes, and so can you for that matter, that is why I am here, to answer your questions.' The dragon closed her eyes in concentration, then opened them again.

'I am the teacher the Keeper of Knowledge sent to you, both of you.' She said staring first at Natasha then at Zuko. 'I am the Dragon of Song, I pass on my teachings to those who need it most. When I had both of my students, you two, touching my shell, it unlocked my spirit.' Natasha blinked. 'This is a really weird world.' She thought to herself.

'Yes it is odd how our world works, isn't it?' The dragons said casting a gentle eye on Natasha. Natasha opened her mouth to speak. 'Yes, I can read minds, but only those who I teach, for some questions are buried deep.' She took a silver claw and scratched under one of her long horns. 'I will teach you both in what you must know, but only that. I am neutral and shall only help you choose what is right.' Zuko sat rigid not daring to take his eyes off the purple dragon. Natasha looked from the dragon to Zuko then back at the dragon.

"If you're going to teach us then how come you won't answer my question?" She asked cooking her head to one side. The dragon looked taken aback. 'My name is in the songs in which I have sung to every element in the world.' She looked at Zuko. 'The fire nation has had my name for a long time; I would like to have it back please.' She said politely.

Zuko gasped and opened his mouth then just stared at the dragon. "What? What is it, Zuko?" Natasha asked worriedly. Zuko turned his head slightly at the sound of his name but kept his eyes on the dragon. "**Seika. The Dragon of Song's name is Seika." He said quietly.**


	15. Teaching

**"Seika?" Natasha said slowly, trying to pronounce it right. The dragon's figure showed a wave of relief wash over her scaly figure. 'It means the 'Dragon Song' in Japanese.' Seika said softly lying down on her side like a content cat. "Japanese?" Zuko said, confused beyond all measure, but keeping his face neutral. "It's a type of country in my world." Natasha said repositioning herself on the wads of blankets.**

**Zuko blinked his mask of neutrality breaking. "_Your_ world?" He asked hotly. "What do you mean 'your world'?" He said standing up and clenching fists. **

**'Hush, Zuko. Your questions shall be answered….. soon.' Seika said cocking her head to the side. 'Now come, you both need to go to the deck.' She said getting up and walking to the door. 'Zuko your uncle is worried about you. Go to him and tell him that every thing is under control.' She said leafing through the blankets that had been blown beneath the iron door.**

**"Seika, what am I supposed to do?" Natasha asked, getting up and hobbling to the door with one of her legs asleep. 'You need training and teaching; it is light out now so we will start with training.' Seika said fishing out one of the red shoes that was given to Natasha. "Well, what kind of training? Like building muscle or endurance, or something?" Natasha asked pulling the shoe on. Seika fished out the other shoe, and laid it in front of Natasha. 'In a way.' She said in a chime voice that sounded like laughter. Natasha took her hair band out of her tangled hair and redid it into a pony-tail, then she tugged the bottom of her coarse maroon pants over her red and black shoes and straightened her red shirt. **

**The door to the bathroom shut, drawing Natasha's attention. 'He needs to change into the training clothes.' Seika said calmly, turning back to the tall door that led to the hallway. She stood up on her hind legs and laid her front claws gently beside the iron door frame. She whistled a small tune and the heavy door swung open. She dropped to all fours and fluttered her wings, then walked through the door.**

** "Wow." Natasha breathed, walking through the door and examining the frame with a quick glance. They walked though the maze of hallways and came to a familiar door. Natasha quickly opened it and let the proud dragon pass. **

**The sea's salt breeze whipped at her bound hair and pressed happily against her body. She lightly closed her eyes, after the old smell of smoke and burnt iron it was a relief to breath real air. She relaxed and took in a hungry breath as the breeze turned into a gleeful gust. The roar of the ocean filled her ears vibrating through her soul. She felt like dancing, like twisting and turning in the currents of the world, but most of all, she felt the need to touch a stream of water, to let it soak into her very being and become one with her….**

**'Do you feel its call?' a far away chime said. Natasha took another deep breath and rose from the feeling of calm and peace. She opened her eyes again to find Seika standing on all fours in front of her. 'Your natural instinct guides you well.' She said lightly turning away from the dazed girl. **

**"Seika? What am I supposed to do?" Natasha asked following the purple dragon. 'You are supposed to train and learn what must be taught to you, but we must wait for pupil Zuko to arrive with our things.' Seika said settling herself by the railing on the side of the iron ship.**

**Zuko arrived, his out fit changed from shirtless to a black shirt and loose black pants laced with blood red thread, his uncle, looking tired and yet relieved was right behind the young prince. Three other guards followed, each carrying a different item. When they reached Natasha and her teacher, they hastily put down three pillows, a small portable table with a pot of steaming tea, and a huge basin of water. The soldiers then quickly departed shooting worried and fearful glances at the elegant dragon and the girl.**

**'Iroh, so good to see you are well.' Seika said formally, bowing her triangular head in recognition. "You know him?" Natasha and Zuko said in union. Zuko glanced angrily at Natasha but she didn't notice. Iroh blushed, and then bowed. "Sensei Seika, I am honored by your memory of me." He straightened himself and looked at Natasha. "Seika had made beautiful ballads of peace and kindness when she lived a thousand generations ago." He said sitting down on one of the pillows provided by the guards. **

**"Her songs inspired me to be passive and patient and treat everything as an equal, unlike my brother." He smiled at his own joke. Natasha sat down on a pillow close to Seika and smiled at Iroh, she could remember her own uncles bickering, laughing, and teasing when she was at home. "Well, it's a long story, perhaps another time." Iroh said pouring some tea into a red cup. Zuko looked shocked at his uncle. 'Uncle would never give up a chance to talk.' Zuko thought silently, sitting on a pillow between Iroh and the purple dragon.**

**'Now that Zuko has joined us….' Seika said casting an olive green eye on Natasha, 'we shall begin with your training…' She said nodding at the girl, 'and your teaching.' She said looking back at Zuko. Zuko stiffened; he frowned and then got up and walked away. "I will talk to him." Iroh said getting up from his table and tea.**

**Natasha stared off after Zuko, even though he's a sour puss, Natasha took comfort in his presence, he was one of the only people she knew in this world. 'Let us begin.' Seika said, drawing Natasha's attention away from Zuko and his Uncle. The dragon raised a five toed paw and made a sweeping motion from the basin of water to Natasha. The bowl, and all its contents, obediently moved to its new placement. Natasha gaped at the power the dragon had just shown her. **

**"How did you do that?" She whispered. Seika made a wind chime sound that sounded like laughter, and fluttered her wings. 'You will too, if you learn.' She said grinning and showing off very white canine-like teeth. Natasha nodded, determination showing on her face.**

**Zuko waited for his uncle at the door that led to the halls, his arms crossed and his mind buzzing with questions. Iroh came up to his nephew, an odd look on his face…Could it be scorn? "You are being very rude to your new teacher, Prince Zuko." Iroh hissed to Zuko. Zuko raised his eyebrows then glared at his uncle. "What are you talking about Uncle? And how do you know that dragon?" He said nodding his head in the direction of Natasha and the dragon. Iroh sighed, why did Zuko have to be difficult on _this_ particular subject? **

** "Zuko, the Dragon of Song has come to you and that girl, for a reason. Did she not say she would answer all of your questions?" Zuko put his mask of neutrality on, and hid his frustration. "Please Zuko, it would be insulting to Sensei Seika if you did not learn from her. If you could just sit through her lessons, then you would have made your old uncle happy." Iroh said smiling kindly, putting a lot of guilt into Zuko's head. Zuko's teeth clenched together tightly and tiny wisps of smoke trickled out of his mouth. **

**He didn't say anything, but he stalked off toward Natasha and the dragon. He sat down with out making a sound and watched and waited while the dragon taught Natasha breathing exercises and how to move tiny or large amounts of water. 'Push and pull, feel the water's call like you did last night and when you walked out side just now.' The dragon said kindly. Natasha's green, green eyes caught Zuko's attention, although they were focused on the bowl in front of her he could tell what kind they were. She had dreamer eyes, eyes that were far beyond the limits of this world, that looked at can and what has. They were beautiful.**

**Zuko blushed, they were beautiful eyes, the person with the eyes wasn't beautiful, not to say that she's an ugly person, it's just….uh. Her eyes closed and a voice came to Zuko's mind's ear. 'She is practicing her natural element, it would be best if you didn't distract her.' Seika said, turning away from Natasha and looking at Zuko with a measuring pair of eyes. Her face looked as if she were smiling. She fluttered her wings and sat squarely in front of her other pupil. 'Now my Princling, your teaching shall begin.'**


	16. Messages

**"Aang? What is it?" Sokka asked crawling over to the boy who was sitting on Appa's head, a blast of cold air came at him as Appa flapped his tail over the sea below. Aang looked at his friend, a frown on his face. "Sokka, do you think we should have left her all alone on that island?" He asked, the reins tightly gripped in his hands. He had been having visions of Natasha in pain all day, and it was tearing at his peaceful soul.**

**Sokka sighed; they'd been over this before. "She wasn't alone Aang, Zuko's ship was there." "But what if he was just looking for us, and he just found her first? Maybe we just left an innocent person at Zuko's mercy?" Aang said persistently.**

**"What's done is done Aang. We can't…" Sokka was cut off as Momo came up and began hissing and scratching at Sokka. **

**"Momo! No!" Aang said, half heartedly trying to get his pet to stop. Momo finally let go, his eyes and face sad and depressed. Sokka didn't say anything but went back to his place in the corner. Momo flopped miserably into Aang's lap. Aang patted his lemur. Appa groaned. Katara just lay by the bags, pretending to be asleep. The moon hid behind a cloud and it lightly began to rain.**

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**All day the two human students worked, their dragon teacher pushing them, guiding them, and teaching them. Iroh came by with a bowl of fruit and tea when Seika was finishing a lecture on Natasha's world to Zuko. Natasha gobbled down the fruit fast, not having eaten since yesterday evening, and finally gave her name to Iroh. He soon left after she lost her concentration and spilled half of the water she was bending on top of herself and her companions. In the afternoon, Seika told Zuko to show her his firebending techniques. She asked Natasha to stop her bending to study Zuko's form and breathing while he was demonstrating. Natasha watched, amazed as he sent blast after blast of fire flying perfectly through the air. At last the sun set, the two teenagers exhausted after the hard day of bending. They followed Iroh going in to the maze of halls, Seika bringing up the rear, and went to the mess hall. They ate, Natasha more greedily then the others, but when at last she finished, she was prompted by Seika to tell a story. Natasha told the story of her perfectly messed up Christmas with her family. When she was done, Iroh was laughing and the tables near her were laughing too. It was Zuko who hid a smile, behind a bite of sweet cake. Finally Iroh led them to their different rooms, Seika choosing to stay with Natasha, and finally going to bed himself.**

**Seika walked in to the small room after her student and let Iroh quietly shut the door. She instantly sensed another presence in the room. She scanned it with her cat like eyes and found a Dream Walker floating idly by the window. 'What do you want, o dark one?' She asked politely, carefully keeping her thought voice from reaching Natasha, who was taking off her shoes. The Dream Walkers liquid voice came softly to Seika's mind, 'I have a nightmare to deliver to the child.' **

**Seika squinted at the dark blob, 'Who has asked this of you, o Dream Giver of the Night?' She asked slowly walking over to the blob. 'You know I can not give you that knowledge, I am just a deliverer of what is given to me. What is done tonight is planned by what is needed to be done, Dragon of Song.' He swiftly rushed his blobby figure over to Natasha and soaked into her body.**

**Natasha lay down on her cot, smiling to herself at having a some what comfortable bed, compared to the last two nights, 'Oh god it's only been two freaking days!' she thought silently to herself. She heard the clinking of Seika's claws as she walked away from the small round window. Natasha heard her teacher sigh. A sudden wave of tiredness swept over her and quickly she forgot all of her troubles and fell deeply asleep. **

**_I walked into a tall building, it was night. There were no sounds, no moon, no stars, and no clouds…just that building that I didn't' want to go into. I tried to stop myself but finally I somehow wound up inside, there were no walls, only machines and boxes. A little girl was running away from something and ran into me after rounding the corner of a machine. I knew I had to protect her. I pushed her to a nearby door, and she escaped. A guard came around the bend and jumped when he saw me. "Please, please, let me go away!" I wailed, trying to keep his attention on me, so he didn't notice the girl and the door. He sighed and pulled out along silver knife. "You shouldn't have scared me." He said calmly. "Wait! Wait!" I screamed, but he pushed me down and stabbed me in the heart. 'This is how it feels to die,' I thought as I counted. One, Two, Three heart beats, before they stopped, I turned over to look at the receding image of my killer, and tasted blood in the back of my throat. I wasn't breathing…_**

**Natasha sat up gasping, her eyes wide with fright. A heavy pressure felt like it lifted from her body, Seika watched worriedly from her spot at the door, where she had been sitting for the last three hours, waiting for this moment. Natasha felt for her chest under her shirt, and found it unmarked, no blood, no knife. She took a deep breath, letting her senses come to. 'Breath, my chargeling. It was just a dream.' Seika crooned. Natasha panted heavily, choked sounds of sobs came from her dry mouth. She wiped her sweaty face on her sleeve and wiped her hands on the light blanket that covered her. **

**'Seika?' She asked weakly, getting up and holding her arms out into the darkness. She groped around until she found the iron door and clasped the handle tightly in her sweaty palms, Seika was at her heels. The small dragon whistled and chimed, trying to calm her pupil, who was pale and frightened.**

** "I'm so scared…" Natasha whispered. Seika stopped, 'One of power, as she is, should never be… scared.' She thought quietly to herself. Natasha began to shiver, her eyes were staring at the darkness around her. 'Well, I suppose if you are not aware of your power then you can still be scared at times.' Seika thought as she went to the cot and retrieved the blanket for her student. Natasha took it and clutched it tightly to her chest. **

**Seika looked back at the window, and saw the Dream Walker still hovering where she had first seen him. 'You must not be scared, my chargeling. Come, we will go somewhere safe.' She said whistling to open the door. Natasha went out and waited for her teacher. Seika nodded to the dark blob at the window, and walked out. She led Natasha to the place where she would feel the safest…**


	17. Power

** Zuko opened his eyes, it was morning. Yet, he didn't remember waking up on his own. 'Zuko, it is time to awaken.' A chimed voice said into his mind. He groaned, he had forgotten about that blasted dragon. He sat up and felt his groggy head drain of all sleepiness. He stared wide eyed at the girl who was sleeping by his meditation alter. How could she get into _his_ room? Why would she _want_ to be in his room? What was she doing in his room! **

**'Now is not the time to be selfish, princeling.' Seika said quietly in his mind. He looked around and found his teacher sitting in front of his door. He was about to open his mouth to say something else when Natasha whimpered from her place in front of his meditation alter. He got up and shot an angry glance at the dragon as he knelt by Natasha. Just like the day before, her hair was messed up and she was sleeping on the hard iron floor. Not knowing what else to do, Zuko reached out hesitantly and brushed away the loose hair that was covering her face. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she curled tighter into a ball.**

**'Zuko, wake her.' Seika said warningly. He looked at his teacher, his arm still over Natasha's body. He withdrew his hand, but the floor beneath him let out its usual creak at the change in position. The sound startled Natasha's unconscious form. 'Zuko! Wake her now!' The dragon yelled helplessly. Natasha moaned her eyes closed tightly, the two candles that were at eye level with Zuko burst into huge hot flames. Zuko gasped and Seika took a step forward, the sounds of her silver claws on iron made Natasha dive beneath her light cover and the air around her swirl into a miniature whirl wind. **

**Zuko fell back on his butt when the gusts of wind came. He heard a scream from the flames and wind. "Leave me alone! Please! Just let me go home!" She screamed helplessly. He opened his eyes and squinted against the hot burning flames that filled his vision. A dark figure was there, it Natasha. She was sitting up now, her eyes were glowing bright and her body was curled into a ball. **

**'Zuko! You must wake her! She's scared! Wake her now!' Seika screamed from her place at the door, a feathery wing was shielding her head and body. A blast of fire and wind came and struck at Zuko and his teacher. Zuko got on all fours and crawled slowly towards Natasha. **

**"Wake up!" He yelled at her. She turned her head to Zuko and looked at him with her empty glowing eyes. Zuko glared at those eyes. Where were her eyes? Where were her green dreamer eyes! He stood up angrily, letting the flames and air try to burn and tear at him. He grabbed Natasha's arms and shook her. "Wake Up! No one can hurt you!" He screamed clenching his hands painfully against her arms. The air and fire began to lessen slightly.**

**Zuko glared at her, "Its ok! It was only a dream! You're safe!" He bellowed his hands turning to a scorching heat. The dreaming Natasha blinked her glowing eyes. The fire died, leaving melted candles in its place, the swirling air had slowed and stopped completely, at the sudden stop of danger Zuko's hands cooled down.**

**Natasha opened her eyes. Zuko's hard glare shattered at the sight of her green, green eyes. He studied her face, she was only confused, no fear, no anger, just…confusion. She let her breath out; it seemed she had been holding it for a long time. She collapsed in his arms breathing and choking in pain and relief. **

**He held her. His eyes were wide, his face and body were sweating, and his heart was beating rapidly, but he held her. Her powerful body felt so frail and weak. She had her arms clasped over her chest, but she let herself be held by this boy she barely knew. She needed him. She needed someone to comfort her, she needed some one to tell her everything would be ok, she needed to be shielded from the world, but there was only silence, but she didn't mind, she was safe. **

**Natasha's breath had returned to normal, but she made no move to leave the comfort of Zuko's presence. 'We will work on only teaching today.' Seika said quietly. Natasha hiccupped and leaned away from Zuko's brace, and nodded somberly towards her teacher. Zuko backed away and stood up. He looked at his teacher, hiding a blush in a glare. **

**"Why did you bring her here?" He asked hotly. Seika flinched at the question, and then met Zuko's glare with one of her own. 'She needed to feel safe.' She said as calmly as she could, 'How could this human be so infuriating?' mused to herself. **

**"And why wouldn't Natasha feel safe on _my_ ship?" Zuko asked clenching his fists tightly. Seika sighed, 'It is like you said. It was only a dream.' She said. Natasha shuddered, but remained silent. Zuko growled, but Seika closed her eyes and blocked him out. She opened them again with a frown on her scaly face. **

**'We will work on meditation today.' She said at last, going over to Natasha and arranging the dazed girl into a lotus position. Zuko blinked, "Shouldn't we have breakfast? Uncle will want to…" **

**The sound of an ocean wave pounding mercilessly against a boulder came to the minds of both teenagers, 'NO!' Seika yelled. 'We shall meditate, and that is final!' She said turning her graceful figure back to Natasha. 'Close your eyes, my chargeling. I will help you.' Seika took a silver claw and touched it lightly on Natasha's forehead. Natasha's eyes drooped then final closed, her body relaxed but she stayed solid as a rock. **

**The purple dragon turned back to Zuko, not with anger or frustration in her eyes, but sadness. 'Zuko, you must understand…' she began. "Understand what, my Sensei Seika?" Zuko asked mockingly. Again Seika sighed, 'The Bending gift was given to humans thousands of years ago. Each generation having its own, guide and mediator, the Avatar, he or she is given the gift of all and only one of every lifetime is given this gift. Natasha is an exception. She needed this gift, so the Great One Around, blessed and cursed her.' The dragon stopped, letting it soak in for Zuko. **

**'She is not the Avatar, but she is just as powerful. She came to this world for a reason. This has all been planned before and after our time young prince go with it! She is having nightmares for a reason. All you can do is comfort her now, all _we_ can do, is help her in what ever way we can… Do you know why she is here?' Seika asked randomly. Zuko looked up, startled. He thought about the intogerration the night she first came aboard. He looked up and stared at the dragon, then looked away. He hesitated, _'Can you take me home?' _Her words rang through his head. He closed his eyes, "No." He said at last. Seika stared at him, but said nothing. 'I see…' She said lightly walking over to Natasha's meditation body. 'Zuko? Go tell your uncle that we require the deck, alone, tonight, clear of all guards and look outs.' Zuko growled, this was still his ship, who does she think she is ordering him on his own ship? He got up and left grudgingly, pulled on his training shirt, and slammed the door shut when he left. **

**Seika never even looked away from her student. She leaned in close and examined the meditating Natasha. 'Let's see if you could find your way on your own…' She said musingly, closing her own eyes and meditating herself onto the same plain that Natasha was on. **


	18. Memory

Katara looked sadly at Aang, he had been driving Appa for two days straight, and he needed a break. "Aang? Why don't you let Sokka drive Appa for a while? You look like you could use some rest." She said quietly, placing a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. He jumped at the disturbance; he hadn't been paying attention to anything she was saying. "What? Did we hit the island?" He asked groggily. Katara motioned to her brother to take the reins from Aang. "Come on Aang, Sokka will drive for a while, go to sleep." She said softly, pulling him away from his seat on Appa's head. Aang nodded and crawled into the saddle and fell head first into Katara's canteen, which was lying on the saddle seat. Katara giggled, and poked at him, "Aang, that's not a pillow….. Aang?" A light snoring came from the canteen and his head. Katara chuckled to herself and sat down next to her sleeping friend, and took a light nap herself.

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"Oh sorry Katara!" Aang said lightly raising his head from her canteen. Katara didn't appear to hear him. "Katara?" He asked, confused. She walked right through him and sat down next to… "Whoa!" Aang backed up and looked at his hands and body, they were a blue and see through. "What's going on? I didn't want to go to the spirit world; I just wanted to go to sleep!" He said looking at his sleeping body. His spirit body blushed; Katara was taking a nap right next to him! Aang gulped, and then felt his body being thrown upward, "Wooooaaaaahhhhh!" He screamed, swinging his arms and legs this way and that.

A purple portal opened up instantly and swallowed him and then spit him back out into a very different world. "What's going on?" Aang asked himself, as he took in the sights of this strange astral plain he was on. There were lots of houses, big tannish colored houses. They looked to be made of wood, but not wood, like a….fake wood? There's no such thing! There were big shiny iron looking moving things that were in the shapes of cubes. The roads were not of dirt but of hard flat rock. And the grass was evenly cut, and trees and plants were arranged in a certain pattern.

The sound of blowing wind chimes came to his spirit ear. 'Avatar Aang, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.' The voice said from nearby. Aang looked around and found a purple dragon floating at eye level with him. Aang bowed respectfully to the dragon that was the size of Roku's dragon, the Dragon of the Fire Nation. He then straightened, "What am I doing here? I wasn't trying to get to the spirit world, I just…got here." He said gesturing at all of the houses around him. The dragon nodded.

'Avatar Aang, do you know of the girl Natasha?' The dragon asked quietly. Aang blinked, then looked down sadly. 'Yes.' He answered somberly. The dragon nodded. 'I am her teacher.' Her chimed voice said again. Aang looked up surprised at the dragon. 'Her what? What's that mean?' He asked, confused. 'Avatar Aang, as you know it is your duty to keep the balance of the world. That balance has been disturbed, and you need to fix it.' The dragon said bluntly. Aang looked taken aback. The dragon shook her head. Why did male humans have to be so difficult?

'Something needs to happen, the Gods and Spirits of the world demand it. The Great One Around Us has given another gift, the gift of every element. That has not been done in thousands of years. However, there are bad spirits in the world, and they do not like this, they believe that the humans do not deserve the gifts, that is why they use the fire lord, Ozai, to wipe out all those who can bend, except of course his own kind, the fire benders.' A red box on wheels came to the house that Aang and the dragon were hovering at. Aang watched, mesmerized by the way the thing moved. Suddenly a man, a woman, and a young teenage girl came out of that car. The man had a thin frame with short blonde hair. The woman also had short blonde hair, but the girl did not. She was dark skinned with dark hair, all had strange clothes on. But the girl…she looked familiar.

Aang gasped, "Natasha?" The dragon looked fondly at the strange girl that he, Katara, and Sokka had left on an island two days before. "What's going on?" he asked floating down to get a better look at Natasha. 'She's meditating.' The dragon said, her own spirit form shrinking to the size of a cat. Aang looked back at the dragon. "You mean, this is just an illusion? Created while she's meditating?" He said gesturing to the world around him. The smaller dragon shook her head, 'No, young Avatar, this is a memory.'

Aang stared wide eyed at the dragon. "You mean, she wasn't lying? That she really was from a different world?" He said quickly, his heart raced. He really did leave an innocent person stranded on an island. 'Not, a different world, per say,' The dragon said, following the memory Natasha into the fake wood house. 'It's more of, in the future world.' She said watching as the memory Natasha scooped up a black and white cat into a great big hug.

"So why did you bring me here? Why do I need to see her memory?" He asked quietly, watching as Natasha went to her room and pulled out a letter. The dragon and the spirit Aang followed her in to her room. 'Because you were having conflicts in your mind about whether to trust her or not, she is from the future, and she does need to have a way to get home if…' The dragon seemed to want to say something else, but stopped her self. She covered it by looking down at Natasha and peeked at the paper and pen she had pulled out to write a letter.

The dragon sighed, she had been doing a lot of that today. 'Avatar Aang, you have a quest you are already working on I know that, but… if you stop at the next island, and just spend the night there, then things will become clearer. There is a reason why Natasha has been haunted by dreams, and only the Avatar can help her.' The dragon bowed her head, 'Please, I am but her teacher and friend, I only ask you to stop and refill your supplies and rest your bison.' The dragon opened another purple portal beside herself and Aang. She waited for him to go first, Aang looked back at Natasha and peeked at her letter.

_Dear Daddy,_

_How are you? I miss you and I wish I could see you soon…_

Aang gulped back guilty tears and went through the portal, the purple dragon soon followed, Natasha didn't even know they were there.


	19. Dance with me

When Aang awoke from his nap, Katara was over on her side of the saddle, wide awake, and practicing her bending. He sighed, he was enjoying that nap next to her. He was about to sit up when he felt a cool pressure in his left hand. He opened his hand to find twelve gold astrals lying neatly in his palm. He closed his hand quickly and hid it in his shirt.

"So, the sleepy head is up from his slumbers, tell us O great avatar, where to next?" Sokka said cheerfully from his place on Appa's head. Aang looked over his shoulder to see if the purple dragon was watching him.

"Aang? Is everything alright?" Katara asked worriedly, when ever she saw his face like that, something was usually troubling him. "No, I'm fine! I just want to be on land for a while." Aang said quickly. "Let's stop at the next island to rest and restock of supplies, Sokka." He said yelling over the wind for the older boy to hear. "Next Island! Got it!" Sokka repeated. "Appa! Yip Yip!"

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Natasha opened her eyes. 'Home…' She thought quietly to herself. She took in a deep breath and held it, hoping that she could save the memory of her old life. She let it out quickly, not all of the things in the old time were good…

The door of Zuko's room opened. Zuko came in with a slave lagging behind carrying a tray of food that looked like the table Iroh had used the day before. The slave set it down and exited while Zuko stared angrily at Seika.

Zuko sat down and picked up his chop sticks and began eating. "If you want to eat go ahead." He said roughly between bites not looking into Natasha's eyes, afraid of what he might find. Natasha quickly went to the table and sat down, she had forgotten how hungry she was! They ate in silence.

When Natasha and Zuko had both finished the door sprang open, revealing a smiling Iroh on the other side. "Zuko come quick! I have just seen the most interesting cloud outside!" He said excitedly. "Uncle, I have no time for watching your silly clouds." Zuko replied hotly. Iroh smiled suspiciously, then went on, "We think it might be the avatar." He said quietly.

Zuko rose from his spot and walked quickly out of the room and began to run to the deck. Natasha looked down, she felt slightly lonely inside. Iroh went to her and lightly patted her head and smiled, "Come now dear, let's go with him. As I recall your master wanted you on the deck any way."

'That is right, chargeling. Let us go there now, it will be noon soon, your training shall intensify.' Seika said rising and walking towards the door. "Yay!" Natasha cried clapping her two hands together. "I'm getting really good at it." She told Iroh proudly as they too went out of Zuko's room and made their way to the deck.

When they reached the deck Zuko was growling and steaming as he looked up at a cloud. It looked like Aang's face. "UNCLE! What is the meaning of this?" He yelled pointing an accusatory finger at his smiling uncle. "I told you, there was a cloud that looked like the avatar." He said smiling and walking back towards the door he and Natasha had emerged from. He closed the door leaving giggling Natasha, angry Zuko, and neutral Seika standing on the deck on a beautiful day.

Zuko slowly breathed fire out of his mouth, letting it simmer and burn in front of him. "He was only teasing." Natasha said passing Zuko and nudging him, giving Zuko a nice warm smile. Zuko's muscles relaxed, and softness touched his heart, his scowl lifted but he just snorted.

Natasha was walking away, a smile on her lips. Her hands flew up, calling water to them she twirled, the water made ripples that danced around her. She laughed, it was pure and hearty. Zuko stared, he had never heard her laugh before… Not that he'd known her that long, or that he wanted to hear it… it was just…..nice. Natasha made an arch with her right arm, the water following obediently and eagerly. "I feel like dancing!" She said to herself, not expecting any one to hear.

'Then dance you shall.' Seika's chimes said unexpectedly from her place at the railing. She had been calling earth from a near by coral reef and was drying it with a white fiery breath. 'Pupil Zuko, Pupil Natasha, please come and listen to my instructions." She said after she was done. Zuko walked over as Natasha just stood in her spot, concentrating. "What are you doing?" Zuko called to her. "Shush!" She called back. "I'll be there… in … one … sec….AAAAA!" A gust of wind came and pushed her forward till she nearly tripped over the mound of earth her master had gathered. She smiled to herself, feeling good inside at her accomplishment.

'Control.' Seika said staring at Natasha patiently. 'Today you shall learn to control your powers, Natasha. You and Zuko shall dance, each controlling their own power. Zuko you shall use only fire, but you can not burn her. Natasha you shall use water,' Seika bent a stream of water from the sea to entwine her pupils. 'Earth,' the dirt rose and fell circling the two teenagers. 'Fire,' she lit a flame in front of herself. 'And air.' She bent air to put out the flame and bent the earth back to its mound and stopped the stream of water. 'You may not touch each other with these four elements, but you are allowed all other contact. But you _must_ be dancing. That is all you have to do with this session. Begin.' Natasha stared at her teacher then at Zuko.

'Ok.' Zuko said quietly. He got up, his black training clothes whipping at his sides. He lit his hands and took a step towards Natasha. She backed away on her hands then got to her feet and bent the air so that she wound up on the opposite side of the ship. 'Hmm… dancing…' Natasha thought quietly to herself. She took a deep calming breath and a quiet mood filled her heart, she made her move.

She bent the sea air to wrap Zuko around in a twister and twirled like so. Zuko jumped with the air and landed in the middle of the ship his fire hands letting little sparks go in a sun like fashion around his body. He moved his hands in an ancient way and let a spout of fire erupt from his hand and touch the railing that Natasha was by. She stopped her twirling and stuck out a foot and raised her arms bringing the earth from where Seika was watching and curved it up and down like walkway that she glided on with her air bending. Zuko did a back roll and began twirling flames in his hands as if they were rods, and raced towards Natasha and marking his trail with perfect lines of burnt steel in his path. Natasha lit her hands on fire and went towards Zuko to confront him. They raced past each other and circled closely, each moving gracefully and beautifully, in sync with each other. Flames danced together and burned respectfully with one another, till at last Natasha's flame faltered and she used a gust of wind to rise in to the air. She took water from the sea and made a spiral in the air, and slowly began to descend. She froze the water and made tiny shards of sparkling ice fall to the ship harmlessly. She then took more sea water and bent them into small streams so that they looked like ribbons, and danced with them in front of Zuko as she landed lightly on the ships deck. The sun shined and glimmered with the water, Natasha was in a trance of beautiful instinct, her partner had stopped his dance and wasn't joining in, she glanced at him. Her green eyes, dreaming in her bending, called to Zuko, daring him to join in with her dance. He walked to the end range of her water ribbons and stood there, mesmerized at the control and beauty Natasha showed to him. She looked at him and her instinctive heart soared with happiness as she danced toward him and with her glimmering water streams, began a dance with him. Zuko followed her lead, his fire catching on to ends of her water, creating steam and diamond like droplets. The ice shards were still falling, Zuko danced slowly with Natasha, a sort of calm came to him. He hadn't felt this calm for a very long time, and he liked it, being so calm… with her…

Natasha did a slow pirouette and came up with her back towards Zuko, the water streams came around and circled her hands as if they were the beat of her heart, and it was racing, faster and faster. The fire of his hands circled around her water as they leaned into each other. Time slowed, lights became more beautiful, the sea became gentler, and the sounds of everything were limited to just the small ding of the ice shards that kept falling oh so prettily… until at last she reached up and touched her lips with his.

As soon as it had happened, it stopped. Natasha stepped back, blushing furiously. "I'm sorry, I don't know what…I…I." She stammered, her control over the water ribbons dissipating as they fell to the ship with a splash. Zuko just stared at her, a slow smile coming to his lips, 'She is such an idiot.' He thought quietly.

'Well done my chargelings,' a voice chimed in their heads. 'The ending was a bit different then what I had expected.' Seika said walking over to the calm Zuko and the flustered Natasha. 'Zuko, it is lunch time, please get your guests some food.' She said nodding Zuko off. He shot a glare at her, but wasted no energy in fighting back. He walked away slowly enjoying each step he took until he went through the iron door and went to the kitchen.

The sea breeze blew, sending cool relief to Natasha's hot body, it took a lot of energy to bend so much with so little experience. 'Do you still want to go home?' Seika asked suddenly. Natasha stared at her teacher. 'I like it here so much…' She thought, knowing that Seika could hear her. 'I like being needed, to have such nice people around…' 'And Zuko?' Seika asked casually. Natasha blushed again. 'He barely knows me and I him… yet, still, I kissed him, cause it felt… so right.' 'But does that mean your people back home do not need you?' her teacher asked looking at her student. 'I don't…know.' Natasha said, sighing and walking over to the railing, her teacher right behind her. 'If there were a way home, would you want to see it? Like the Keeper of Knowledge told you, it is _you_ who chooses to walk through the doors presented to you.' Natasha looked at the sea and thought. She looked back at her teacher and saw naught but kindness. 'Yeah, I guess I kinda wanna see if there is a way to get home…' She said looking back at the sea.

Seika nodded and illuminated a purple aura that allowed her to grow until she was the size of an orca. Her wings beat against the air of the sea and sunlight bounced off her milky purple scales. Natasha watched, unsurprised at any thing this world could offer her. 'Come now, my child. Let us see your way home, we shall see your old friends when we arrive.' Natasha was confused at the statement but climbed into a feathered seat between Seika's shoulders and neck. She looked back at the iron ship, Zuko would be coming back soon, 'Would he be angry if I'm gone? Would he be sad?' She thought silently. Guilt was weighing heavily on her heart but Seika flapped her wings and they were off, and nobody could stop them.


	20. Seasons

"Aang this is great! I can't believe some old man gave you all this money!" Sokka said happily as he munched on a fresh bought fruit dish. Katara nodded looking at her new material she had bought to make some shoes. "It's nice to know there are still kind people out here." She said smiling at the merchants they passed. Aang looked back at the dormant volcano that had the forest that hid Appa and their campsite from wandering eyes. He was still worried about the dream dragon he had seen, 'Seika' right?

They stopped once more at a knife shop and Sokka bought a new pocket blade. "Come on guys, let's go back to camp." Aang said after they left the shop. "Hey Aang, what's the rush, we've got money to burn. Let's stay awhile." Sokka said lazily as he admired the shininess of the blade. "We've got a lot of money, yes, but what if it attracts too much attention? We should lie low with this money, we don't want thieves coming after us, do we?" Aang said persistently, facing the mountain again, a worried look was planted on his face. Sokka glanced at his knife and quickly stuffed it in his belt, Katara rolled up her material and put it under her arm. "Well, we're done shopping. Let's start back to camp." She said kindly, walking up to Aang's side and giving him a smile. Aang tried to smile back, but something caught his eye.

A small alley between a jewel salesman and a carpet man, showed part of a small red pillar. "What's this?" Aang said walking through the alley, Katara and Sokka close behind. They emerged at in front of a small building that looked to be a shrine. "I thought you said we should head back. Cause of evil thieves and such." Sokka said sarcastically. It was ignored as Aang went inside. The small temple and found two bronze statues standing proudly with incense burning an enriching fragrance of meadow and sea.

"Aang? What is it?" Katara asked quietly looking around at the simple shrine that had but two windows and a bare spot in between the two statues where something had once stood.

"I've been here before." He said looking at the two windows and the ceiling. "Yeah, I'm sure of it. I came here once, a hundred years ago, we came here to pay our respects to this mother and father." He said pointing at the slender statues. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Uh, hate to break it to ya Aang, but those are two dragons, man killers, land burners, not parents." He said strolling up to the statues and eyeing some of their sharp teeth. "No, not man killers or even regular spirits," Aang said staring at the dragons. "These dragons were gods, it was said that their child had lost her way and had fallen from heaven, so they searched for her, killing any thing that tried to stop them and burning the homes of all who they thought held their child captive." He said bowing his head respectfully.

Sokka raised his eyebrow, "Yeah… real different." He said quietly to himself. Katara glared at her brother but didn't say anything. "The story says, 'That of who loves can die, and that who dreams is bliss, forever the heavens search, heir to thy dragon's sea.'" Aang said rubbing the spot in between the two statues. "'Descend from sun, birth by sea, ye lives again til truth rings pure, and choice of earth is chosen.'" A low whistle vibrated over the door. They all turned.

A young girl in rags stood staring at the trio of outsiders. Her clothes were that of an earth bender, but had been patched many times, her hands wore loose bandages that were bloody and torn, and her shoe had a hole in it. "What are you doing here?" She said quietly.

Aang was the first to recover, "We came to pray to the Gods." He said kindly smiling wide at the girl. She seemed to want to say something more, but stopped and smiled back. She walked forward and went to the statues and began to pray, a small smile playing on her lips. Sokka frowned, "Okay… Well, nice chatting with you, we'd better be going, to… uh, get back to camp and all." He said moving towards the exit.

"Stay." The poor girl said not opening her eyes from her prayer. "Please, rest for a while, before you go in to the forest." She said sitting and turning to face the other three. "How did…." Katara began, sitting down opposite from the strange girl Aang and Katara exchanged looks. "Well, my names…" Aang began sitting next to Katara. "No names here please. It is simpler that way." The girl said, staring out through the window at the late afternoon sun. "Okay, we're supposed to stay… in a strange shrine, with a girl who won't tell us her nam…" Sokka whispered, leaning in close to his sister. "Would you like a story?" The girl said looking at Sokka with a glare. "Do we have a choice?" Sokka said with a groan.

"Yes." She said closing her eyes. "But will you leave?" She took a breath in as Sokka groaned again. "Never a time ago, a girl was in trouble. She died and lived. True love something, blah blah blah. No one remembers, so it doesn't matter. The End." She turned around and hung her head in respect to the two dragons. The three travelers stared wide eyed at the girl. "Is that it!" Sokka said gaping at the raggedy girl. "If I only get half your attention, you only get half the story. Now, do you want it or not?"

"He's sorry." Katara said slapping her brother up side the head. "Please, tell us the story." The girl sighed, but didn't turn back around. "Time, it is a limit. Limits can be controlled, control gives power, power is used for bad, and good… sometimes. When something good gets power, evil wants it, if bad gets it… well that's why it's called bad. But time is neutral, as is what the Great One Around Us has made her. Time is kind and cruel. Time is said to have a gate, that stops for the gods and spirits of heaven and demons and spirits of hell." Aang looked hard at the girl, this was a very confusing story. "Will a human ever enter those gates? The Gates of the Seasons?" She turned her head, her eyes shining in the setting sun's rays. "I have studied this for many seasons, I wish for you to know that." Her eyes darted to the window. "Go, now." She said quietly, looking back at the statues. They all got up quietly and began to leave, Aang lagging behind. "Do not worry, Avatar, it will all be better… in time." She said quietly. Aang turned and gaped at her. "Aang hurry up! It's gonna be dark in about an hour, let's go!" Sokka called from the court yard. Aang turned back to his friends, and walked away, thinking deeply about the mysterious girl that was in the shrine.

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They flew on, Seika and Natasha, together in silence. Natasha's mind buzzed, but her body was tired, and her eyes were sagging. She coughed, her lungs were sore at breathing such fast air. She hid her face on the neck of her teacher. 'Do you want to go home?' A part of her said. 'You've always hated your time the pollution, the hatred and the race to be better than everything, here your special, here you have so much love, here you can begin anew and slow down to see the world.' It said kindly to her. 'But can you just give up your responsibilities? Can you give up what you once held so dear?' another part said. "Responsibilities? To what? To live then die? To add to the destruction of the earth and die happy because humans will live as everything else decays?" she said aloud. 'What's the matter, little one?' Seika said glancing back at her shivering pupil. "Just a mental argument!" Natasha yelled over the wind smiling fakely at her teacher. Seika sped on. An island was coming into view. Natasha was beginning to dose when a question popped into her head, just as she was about to dream, it spoke softly to her. 'Then why am I still trying to get home?'


	21. Again

Zuko opened his eyes, angrily staring at the ceiling above his cot. His uncle had knocked at the door. "Prince Zuko, it is morning and the Island of Shiki is an hours time away." Iroh said, standing at the door, knowing his nephew would still be in a bad mood. Zuko didn't answer, he just glared at his ceiling. Iroh nodded to the prince and closed the door. Zuko roared, letting a blast of fire escape his lips and torch his ceiling. He sat up and began to dress in a rush. 'How could she leave me?' He thought angrily as he looked at his armor, dulled from his running through the forest. The forest on the 'Uncharted Island' as his uncle would say, he scowled. The night he met, her…. Zuko unclenched his hands. 'Maybe, she was kidnapped? By the Avatar? Or more likely the dragon.' He growled and whacked his armor to the ground. He felt anger, but could not bring himself to hate his teacher or the boy. He pulled on his shoes and walked out of his room with only his training clothes on, he didn't want to fight today…

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Aang woke early as usual. He sat up and saw that Katara had gotten up even earlier and was already cooking breakfast, as usual. He looked over and saw a small pool of drool by Sokka's head, he smiled to himself. Momo fell from Aang's lap and was yawning sleepily. "Morning Katara." Aang said as he rose from his spot and began stretching. "Good morning, Aang." Katara said cheerfully as she stirred a pot of soup. A small gurgling sound came from Appa's saddle. Aang and Katara looked up and saw Momo sitting on the tip of the saddle, his ears up and alert and his nose smelling the air. "What is it boy?" Aang said worriedly, thinking it had something to do with the purple dragon in his vision. Momo looked back at his master and flew down and in a tight happy circle around Aang, then flew out and began making his way through the woods. "Probably smells some fruits." Aang said with relief. "Aang? If he finds some fruits would you pick them please?" Katara said tasting a portion of her soup. "Sure." He said grabbing his staff and running quickly after his pet lemur.

He laughed and jumped over the vegetation as he followed Momo through the woods. Finally they came to a small clearing where Aang stopped at the edge and didn't move. There was a light breeze blowing the flowering weeds that were covered with dew. The sun was bright and yellow, showing a beautiful blue sky, with wisps of clouds traveling the ocean winds. Momo flew to a large tree with tall twisting roots that held a precious burden underneath its cool branches. There curled up under the tree, watching him, was the dragon in his dreams. A breath came from the purple body, its movements catching the sun on her shining purple scales. The breeze ruffled her feathers, but she stayed still, unmoving. Aang looked closer at the dragon and saw why. Seika was curled around a sleeping Natasha. Her clothes were that of a fire nation, but she looked so peaceful.

The leaves of the trees rustled joyfully and a few song birds twitled happily. Momo climbed down from the tree and hopped on to Seika. Aang held his breath. The little lemur twitched his ears and popped on to Natasha's belly and snuggled up to take a nap.

Natasha opened her eyes the sun was bright and a warm pressure was on her stomach, she sat up and stretched. Momo fell from his place and mumbled grumpily. Natasha looked down surprised at him. "MOMO!" She cried scooping him up in a big hug. Momo crawled up out of her embrace and began picking through her hair, Natasha giggled and looked up fondly at the dragon. Seika looked kindly at the girl then looked back to where Aang was standing.

Aang gulped and looked every which way for some way to hide but ended up looking stupid. Natasha stared at him, her expression innocent. She then closed her eyes and smiled happily, getting up out of her dragon nest and running with Momo right behind her. "AANG! I can't believe you're here!" She screeched giving a confused Aang a big hug.

"Wha… what…?" Aang stammered blushing furiously as Natasha let him go. "I can't believe it! I never thought I'd see you again! Where's Katara? How's Appa? Has she made breakfast yet? Katara I mean, not Appa." She asked shooting out one question after another. "What are _you_ doing here?" Aang said smiling nervously, looking back at the dragon she had slept with and most likely traveled here on.

Natasha looked back, and then gasped. "I'm so sorry, you haven't met my master yet." She said dragging Aang over to the tree of roots that held the purple dragon. "This is Aang, Aang this is Seika, my teacher." Natasha said pleasantly. 'Introductions must be short, young ones.' Seika said rising from her spot and looming over the two humans. 'What of your friends, Avatar? Will they not want to meet your… match?' Seika said mysteriously. Aang gasped, "Oh right, I've got to tell Katara! Hey, Natasha, you want to come?" He said pointing towards the little path he had come from. Natasha smiled, but inside felt a brutal tugging at her heart. "No thanks Aang, I kind of want to…. You know clean up for a little while." She said gently, misleading him to think she wanted to take a bath. "Oh, Okay." Aang said waving as he left the clearing blushing slightly. Natasha turned back to her teacher who was airing out her wings in the morning sun. 'I have to go find the Guardian of Seasons, the one we talked about last night?' She said facing the wind. 'I remember…' Natasha whispered softly in her thoughts, sadly watching her master leave.

Natasha looked around and found that even Momo had departed when Aang had gone back to camp. She sighed and felt her heart drag along the depths of despair. She walked through the woods, walking along the side of the flat volcano. She walked on, listening to the birds and the bugs, it was all so peaceful. She finally came to an almost completely flat Meadow with its flowers in full bloom and butterflies flying every which way. She giggled, this place was so beautiful, who could be sad here? She laughed out loud, this was so much fun! She spread her arms out wide and ran through the meadow the flower petals floating around engulfing her in a sweet smelling hurricane. Natasha felt so happy, so free… She flopped down on the colorful bed of grass and flowers and smiled as if she had nothing to lose in the world. A salt wind blew in waking her from her day dreams. A bunch of ocean blue flowers, and saw an opportunity to make her friends happy, so she got to her knees and began picking a bouquet of flowers.

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In the harbor, at last, Zuko set foot on the island that held Natasha on its shores. In nothing but his training clothes he set off towards the tip top of Shiki's volcano to begin his search for her. He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered they're dance together. He heart softened, but he opened his eyes in rage and set off to find her again.


	22. Confronting you

Natasha had gathered the ocean blue flowers with some sunset orange lilies, making a lovely bouquet. She smiled to herself and looked out over the island and out onto the sea where fluffy white clouds floated playfully in the light sea breeze. She felt so happy inside, and wanted to hold on to this moment, forever and ever. She laid her gift down gently, and ran through the field and leapt as high as she could into the sky, her clothes whipping around in the wind, her heart laughing out loud in pure joy. She was flying, _she_ was flying, the dork of her home town, the weird girl in that one class you had last year… _she_ was flying now in this perfect world, with happiness all around her and nothing bad was happening, nothing bad was ever going to happen… she was free!

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Aang ran as fast as he could through the woods, 'Why was their camp so far away?' He thought as he closed his eyes and sped up. He ran on for another five minutes before he opened his eyes again. There, coming up at about 50 miles per hour was an avatar, rushing head first into the prince of the fire nation. "AAAAAAAAAAA!" Aang cried before quickly stopping his moving feet and crashing head first into a bush. He hurriedly stood up and looked for an escape. Zuko didn't move from his spot on the ground where he had fallen from surprise at a speeding air bender. "Oops, sorry, thought this was the fire free part of the forest!" Aang said before speeding off into a different direction. Zuko sat staring, it was the avatar! He _had_ kidnapped her! Zuko got up and began to run in the direction of Aang.

Aang, using his air bending, finally made it back to camp and ran around in a big circle around the camp. "Natasha's..." He said on one pass. "Here…" He said as a sleepy Sokka and a confused Katara watched their hyperactive friend. "Follow me!" He said heading back into the woods. "Can't we wait til after breakfast!" Sokka said hungrily eyeing a juicy lump of meat in the stew. Aang ran back and went in another circle, "Zuko's here!" He said and began running again. Katara dropped her ladle and ran after him, Sokka got up and began to run, but came back for a lick of soup, then went back to running.

Aang had slowed down to Katara's speed, his happy smile was gone as he huffed. "I don't think Natasha was a spy." Aang said. "I think she was kidnapped, by Zuko." He said turning slightly at a rotten log. Katara stared ahead, guilt weighing down on her mind. "I think she escaped, and came to this island, Zuko's here too, but I don't think he knows where she is." Aang said as they came to the clearing where Natasha and Seika had once been. "So where are they?" Katara asked, panting heavily from the long run. Sokka came out from the clearing, dying and breathing loudly. "Why are they so far away!" He cried flopping onto the ground. "She was here a while ago…" Aang said looking around every which way. Sokka gasped. "We know, we know Sokka, your hungry…" Katara said looking around with Aang. "No, look!" Sokka said pointing to the soft earth near his finger. There were two marks, a medium size foot print, and a larger wider, foot print, both had the same shape to them. "Fire nation makes shoes with these specific points on the end." Sokka said tracing the prints with his finger, then pointed to a small path that was beside the clearing, "They go that way." He said getting up and running to the path, Katara and Aang followed closely behind, where ever Natasha was… Zuko would be there before they would be.

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Natasha landed lightly onto the ground; she took a deep breath and collected random flower petals that were floating around with her air bending. She then exhaled freezing her breath to make into water and bent it to make thin blue water ribbons, just like on the ship. Natasha looked at the ribbons, a slight falter in her bliss came through to her mind, but she undid her hair and bent the 'ribbons' so they looked like they were waving in the wind and put one on each side of her head. She then looked to the sky and smiled, then began to run. She ran slowly at first, the breezes full of flower petals fluttering at her side, until she reached the other end of the meadow where she used her air bending to speed up and climb a tall pine tree and jump as high as she could off the top and began to fly slowly through the air, the ribbons and petals following their master beautifully through the heavens.

Natasha laughed happily as she descended slowly to the earth, she opened her eyes slightly to see the meadow below her and caught sight of a dark figure at the edge. His black clothes flapped slightly in the morning breeze, and his golden eyes were entranced by the angel that was falling to the earth in front of him. He ran to her, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he crossed the meadow and gazed at her as she fell, a joyful expression was on her face as she descended, her arms were spread out wide so that her clothes looked like wings in the wind and sun.

She came down lightly in front of Zuko, the flower petals were falling slowly around her. Zuko looks at her, she wasn't injured or afraid, she didn't yell or blink, she just stared at him with her green, green eyes. Zuko's own eyes soften at the sight of her, the ribbons in her hair looked like water and the sun and breeze made the petals dance around them, everything about her and around her was beautiful.

Natasha hesitantly reached out her hand and touched Zuko's shirt and smiled, tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them back. "You're real." She whispered, and threw her body into Zuko's arms. Zuko held on to her, no fear of rejection, no anger of desertion, just so happy… so happy that she was in his arms again.

A dark cloud blew in front of the sun and the flower petals stopped their falling. Natasha opened her eyes, it felt bad, something bad was going to happen. She lifted her head and looked at the edge of the meadow. There standing, shocked looks on their faces were Aang, Katara, and Sokka.


	23. Safe with You

Natasha broke Zuko's embrace smiled and yelled, "AANG! Over here!" She waved her arm widely and grabbed Zuko's hand and giggled. Holding onto his hand she began marching towards the others, "These are my other friends here, Zuko." She said letting go of his hand and beginning to run to them. She turned her head back to Zuko, "Come on! You've gotta meet them!" The sky began to darken more and more as Zuko nervously approached Natasha's 'friends', his body had become frigid and his eyes scowled deeply.

Sokka stepped in front of Aang and Katara, and pulled out his boomerang. Natasha came up smiling, and ran for Katara. She laughed and put her arms around the other girl and swung around in a circle, "Katara! How've you been?" She said smiling and putting an arm on Aang and laid her head on her hands between the two confused benders. "I want you guys to meet my other friend in this world, Zuko the…" She looked at Zuko who had joined them when Sokka was distracted by Natasha's bold hug. "Uh… this is just Zuko." She said smiling at her joke. "Wait! You, hav… how… wher? HUH!" Sokka stammered pointing his boomerang at Natasha. Zuko growled at the action, but didn't move from his spot.

"Hi to you too, Sokka, and I meant what I said when you pointed that thing at me last time, I will take your little toy and break it, so let's put it away for know, hmm?" Natasha drawled pushing the boomerang down with her finger. Sokka's frown deepened, but he didn't put his weapon down, but whipped around to face Zuko. "Then how do you explain this fire bender? You were hugging him just a minute ago." Sokka said glaring at Zuko. Zuko glared back and took a fighting stance. "Hey! Stop it you two! Zuko's my friend too!" Natasha said leaving her place from between Katara and Aang and rushing to stand in front of Zuko. She spread her arms out, "What's with you Sokka? Can't you trust any one? We're not evil, ok?" Sokka's eyes softened, and he was about to put away his boomerang, when the darkened skies sent a black lighting bolt hurtling towards Sokka. Before he could even blink his eyes, Sokka's boomerang conducted the dark energy all through Sokka's body. He let out a piercing yowl as his eyes began to over flow with red and his face took on the look of a demon. Black matter began to circulate Sokka's hands and his voice turned to a growl, "Sokka what happened!" Katara said slowly approaching her brother. Sokka turned his body with animal speed and touched both Katara and Aang with his dark hands.

Katara screamed in agony as the darkness took over her body as well, Aang fell to the ground clutching the shoulder that Sokka had touched. Katara's eyes turned blood red and she smiled evilly, "Time to go home girlie." She said in a demonic voice cracking her fingers in front of her face. Sokka closed in with Katara close behind, and punched Natasha in the cheek, sending her flying until she landed with a thud near the middle of the field. Zuko was about to chase after her, but he felt a tug on his black training pants. It was Aang. "Please, don't fight them…" Aang wheezed as another wave of pain recoiled through his body. Zuko looked down at Aang sorrowfully then heard a voice from the meadow.

"ZUKO! Take care of Aang!" Natasha said getting up slowly from the spot where she had landed. She looked up with a neutral glaze in her eyes. She wiped away a trail of blood that was trickling from the corner of her mouth. She got up and faced the incoming Katara and Sokka, "What's wrong with you guys? What's going on!" She shouted dodging a hit from Sokka with his boomerang. Sokka chuckled, "Had any bad dreams lately?" he said throwing the boomerang at Natasha, she bent the air around her and rose into the sky. "How do you know about my dreams!" She screamed sending a blast of air at Sokka. It blasted into him, sending him rolling as Katara came and jumped over him into the air, her hands glowing black and a wicked smile on her face. "Katara! Wake up!" Natasha screamed, putting up her hands in defense. Katara was about to strike when fire leapt from Natasha's hands and tackled the helpless mid air Katara, sending her plummeting to the ground. Natasha too, began to fall, and she watched as Katara hit the ground, hard, the black aura from her hands began to dissipate into the air.

Natasha felt a sense of relief in her heart, but as soon as it had come, it disappeared. Sokka came charging into her vision while she was still falling. He came at her with his dark hand ready, and made contact with her shoulder, the energy of the fall and the power of Sokka's punch sending Natasha flying until she slammed into the base of a large red pine tree. It began to rain, big fat cold drops of rain came crashing down, aggravating the wounds on Natasha's shoulder and cheek. But to Natasha, this was an opening, she got up clumsily and began to run at Sokka as well, gathering the rain in to a large ball of water in her hands. Sokka in turn, created a ball of dark energy in his own hand.

As they were fighting in the field, Zuko stood by Aang as Aang battled the evil inside on him self. 'What's going on?' Zuko thought as it began to rain. There was a crunch behind them and Zuko turned to find his teacher the orca sized dragon, Seika, standing behind him with a raggedy young girl, with a hole in her shoe. 'The fight has begun.' Seika said to the girl. "What are _you_ doing here?" Zuko said angrily, getting into a fighting stance. 'I am here with a guest, Princeling.' Seika said glaring at the small fire bender. 'Show some respect.' She said moving her cat like eyes from Zuko to the suffering Aang. 'Avatar, you are battling evil spirits now, let me help.' She said walking over to Aang and placing a silver claw on his shoulder. Aang growled in pain as Seika lifted her claw upward, drawing out the black matter into a thick wavering line, until at last Aang gasped with relief. The black evil then curled into a ball that began to expand, then collapsed in on its self and died. Seika shook her claw as if to get rid of any leftover evil. "What's going on?" Aang asked standing up, then falling back down, clutching his head.

"It is a battle." The girl that Seika had brought said, coming up beside Aang. Aang's eyes opened widely as he caught sight of her. "You're the girl from the temple!" He said pointing at her. Zuko watched the two listening to everything they were saying. 'You must listen as well, my chargeling.' Seika said lying down in a semi circle around the three humans. "The last hundred years the Avatar, the one with the gift of all four elements, has been missing." The girl said, staring at the battle between Sokka and Natasha, they were attacking each other in the air now, Natasha was using flames as bombs and Sokka was hurtling orbs of darkness at the bombs, as each came slowly to the ground.

"Many evil spirits of the world have always wanted that gift," the girl continued, "but they have always suppressed that longing… until now." Natasha bent the earth around Sokka's feet to immobilize his legs, Sokka shot a dark orb at her while she was concentrating. "The Avatar reappeared, creating an annoyance in the evil spirits, but when another one was blessed with the gift of all, the spirit's bitterness over the last two thousand years rose up into that." She pointed at Sokka as an orb got past Natasha's water barrier and struck her in the heart. "Until she proves that she deserves the gift, the spirits will keep in habiting Sokka's body until at last the girl is dead." The raggedy girl got up and went to Seika, to lean on. Aang got up too, wobbling slightly, "But why Sokka? What did he do wrong?" The girl shrugged, "Probably cause he's normal, no bending powers, or maybe he already had a little bitterness in his heart that the spirits bred into _that_." She nodded towards the field where Natasha was trying to stand as Sokka came and kicked her in the chest knocking her towards the edge of the meadow.

Sokka's evil grin taunted Natasha, as she was on all four panting in exhaustion. His red eyes gleamed as the rain began to lighten and lighting bolts and thunder began to take over the sky. He walked towards her, stepping on an already picked bundle of blue flowers with orange lilies and stooping down to pick up a forlorn object. He held it up and let the light from the lighting illuminate his still intact boomerang. His grin broadened as he advanced, his boomerang in killing position. Natasha's gasps for air began to get lower and angrier, her eyes began to fade to a white glow and her body stopped complaining of pain and exhaustion. She stood up with confidence and a dragon's roar escaped her lips. She took an odd stance and began to summon all the water in the area. Sokka's demon self looked around in confusion, then began to run at his prey, his weapon raised high. The water from the rain and nearby streams had created a massive wave that Natasha had under complete control. As Sokka drew closer, she let loose her monster of destruction and let it pummel Sokka until at last he let go of his boomerang and let himself be carried by the current.

Natasha let the water disperse and saw that Sokka was lying motionless in the middle of the meadow. His black hands were dissipating into the air and Natasha knew she had won, but her eyes did not stop glowing. She went to Katara and picked her up by the arm, her water bending friend was still unconscious. She then went to Sokka and picked him up by the arm and carried both siblings towards Zuko and the others. Aang and the strange girl took the two sleeping teens, Zuko just stared at Natasha. She looked at him with her empty eyes, and began to walk away. Zuko stood there then followed her, he was angry at her. He had just found her, where did her green eyes go? Why won't she come back! He grabbed her arm and spun her around; her empty eyes stared at him. "It's ok!" He said, "You're safe now! Nobody's going to hurt you!" He said pulling her into his arms. He held her, her bruised body unmoving and unresponsive.

The sun peeked out from behind the dark storm clouds and the skies began to clear into a blue sunny day. Natasha stared into the sky and her eyes turned green again. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she gripped Zuko to her, she was safe now, she would always be safe now, with Zuko. "You will always be safe with me." Zuko said softly to her again and again. Natasha sighed happily and closed her eyes to rest in Zuko's protective embrace.


	24. The End

When she awoke, Natasha was in a small temple surrounded by friends. She slowly sat up and looked around. Katara and Aang were sitting beside her bed, smiling with relief. Zuko was on the other side a small smile on his lips. Sokka was resting on the bed on the opposite side of her. Seika and a poor looking girl were standing by the door way watching her. Natasha smiled happily at all of her friends, "Hey! What's goin' on?" She said cheerfully. Katara and Aang gave her a big hug, and began to laugh happily, Natasha laughed with them, looking at Zuko with a big smile on her face.

Seika, who was now the size of an ox, and the girl came over and bowed down low in front of Natasha's mat. Natasha stared at them, "What's this for?" she asked looking at Zuko, who didn't know what was going on, then at Katara and Aang, who were as clueless as she was. "You defeated the evil spirits in Sokka's body." The girl said. 'You have proven yourself worthy of the gift of all.' Seika said proudly in her wind chimed voice. "You say you're from the future?" The poor girl asked, smirking mysteriously at Natasha. "Yes…" Natasha said slowly, folding her hands in her lap.

"Then I have found you." The girl said standing up and pointing towards both windows. The windows glowed a night color and a day color and combined their light onto the girl. Her clothes turned from rags to fine robes and her face matured to a woman of gorgeous beauty. "I am the Guardian of Seasons." She said bowing again to Natasha. Natasha blushed and began to scramble to her own feet. "No you shouldn't bow to me! I've been looking for _you_!" Natasha said bowing to the beautiful Guardian.

"Oh? And what do you need me for, your Highness?" the Guardian kindly. "HUH?" Natasha said surprised. "Highness? What do you mean?" She said looking around at the others, in case the Guardian was talking to some one else. "I have been searching a long time for her." The Guardian said to Katara and Aang. "For the fallen dragon child." She said looking back at Natasha. Aang gasped and looked back at Natasha. "You're the Dragon God's child!" Katara gaped at Natasha and Zuko stared wide eyed. Natasha sighed, "I have no idea what's going on!" She whined. She then glanced at the Guardian. "This is when some one tells everyone what's going on." She whispered, the Guardian chuckled.

"There was a story that told of two dragon gods having a child lose her way. The child fell from the heavens and became mortal, while the dragon god parents searched frantically around the world for her." She said gesturing towards the two statues, all of them turned around to see both of the bronze statues shining brightly as if they had been freshly polished. "As the Guardian of Seasons, I am entitled to give you a way home to the future," the window on the right glowed and showed the arch with her blonde friend and fellow campers on the other side. "Or you can go to heaven with your mother and father." The other window glowed brightly and showed a blue water female dragon beside a yellow fire male dragon standing majestically on the other side. Natasha got up and went to where she saw her best friend on the other side. Her smile was gone and there was an intense longing in her heart.

'It would be best if you would go out side.' Seika said to the three awake humans. Katara and Aang nodded and helped the still sleeping Sokka up and took him out side, Zuko lingered watching Natasha with a heavy heart. Natasha tore herself from the window with her best friend and went to the one with her true parents. She touched the frame of that window and tried to smile at her real family, but the weight of trying to make a decision crushed her heart and tears began to run down her cheeks. Zuko hated to see her in so much pain, but he couldn't do any thing about it. He was so helpless to the decision that she had to make between her home and her family. He walked over to her and touched her shoulder, she turned around and looked at him with her sad green eyes. Zuko couldn't stand it. He grabbed her shoulders and clutched her frail body in his arms.

"I love you." He whispered, tears running down his own cheeks. Natasha looked at the ceiling, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. She blinked her eyes hid her face in his chest. 'Zuko, it's time to go out side.' Seika said from her place at Natasha's mat. Zuko let go and walked out quickly, his teacher right behind him. Natasha was left with the Guardian, alone in the world again. She fell to her knees and looked at her best friend through the right window, and saw her smile kindly at her 'Be happy!' the blonde said through space and time. Natasha looked back at the window with her true mother and father. Her father opened his mouth and spoke familiar words, 'There are doors to everywhere and everything in the world, but it is you, not someone else that makes you step through the frame.' Her dragon mother nodded, 'Be safe.' She said lovingly. Natasha's tears of sadness stopped and new tears of happiness began to flow. "Thank you." She said to her parents, her old life, and the Guardian of Seasons. The Guardian chuckled, "Some one has already gone through the Gate of Seasons, what an interesting life you will lead." She said raising her arms up and making the whole building glow brightly, "Time for you to go out side, little bender." She said as the building began to shudder. Natasha nodded and got up and ran outside.

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Sokka had woken up on the way out of the small alley, so Aang and Katara were filling him in on what happened. Zuko was trailing behind sadly, when all of a sudden a bright flash came from the behind the buildings that had the temple behind them. Zuko was the first to turn around and run back to the alley that led to the temple. As he reached the alley pink flower petals began to fall from the sky. Zuko turned the corner and ran to the other end.

As he burst from the dark alley, the light from the sun blinded him momentarily. When his vision had cleared, he saw a thin figure standing in the sunlight with flower petals falling all around her. She turned her head and looked at him with innocent green eyes. Zuko took a few steps towards, the temple was completely gone and yet she was still here. Natasha ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, and buried her head in his chest.

"I couldn't leave… I won't ever leave… I'll always be here, with you." She said looking up into Zuko's golden eyes with her own green ones. She reached up and touched her lips with his, then pulled her head back. "I love you too." She said with a kind smile. Zuko smiled back and pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. They were together at last.

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Sokka, Aang, and Katara were watching from beside the alley. "They look so happy together." Katara sighed happily. Aang looked at her and blushed, "You could tell for a while that they would end up together." He said leaning against his staff. Sokka nodded. "I definitely won't bug them any more." He said crossing his arms in good humor. The three turned and began walk away. "But you gotta wonder…" Sokka said seriously. Katara looks back at her brother, a worried expression on her face. "What?" She said stopping in the middle of the alley. "What are their kids gonna look like?" Sokka said, fear all over his face. Aang shakes his head and leaves the alley. Katara rolls up her sleeve and begins to pound on her brother, "This was a really nice ending Sokka! But _you_ had to screw it up with one of your lame jokes, didn't you?" She said as she pounded on Sokka's back. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! CURSE YOU WITTY SARCASM!" He screams running out of the alley and into the main street, Katara close behind him. "What an interesting life they will live indeed." The Guardian of Seasons said chuckling.


End file.
